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Thermoplastics Modified with Nanoscale Inorganic Macromers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

Timothy S. Haddad
Affiliation:
Raytheon STX
Patrick T. Mather
Affiliation:
Air Force Research Lab
Hong G. Jeont
Affiliation:
Air Force Research Lab, Edwards Air Force Base, CA 93524
Angel Romo-Uribe
Affiliation:
Systran Corp., Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433
Amy R. Farrist
Affiliation:
Air Force Research Lab, Edwards Air Force Base, CA 93524
Joseph D. Lichtenhant
Affiliation:
Air Force Research Lab, Edwards Air Force Base, CA 93524
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Abstract

We have taken a unique approach to the synthesis and study of hybrid organic/inorganic materials. Our method involves synthesizing nano-size inorganic P1R7Si8O12 clusters which contain seven inert “R” groups for solubility and only one functional “P” group for polymerization. This strategy permits the synthesis of melt processable, linear hybrid polymers containing pendent inorganic clusters and allows us to study the effect these clusters have on chain motions and polymer properties. The synthesis of norbomenyl-based polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) macromers, their ring opening metathesis copolymerizations with varying amounts of norbornene, and analysis of the effect of the pendent POSS group is presented. The mechanical relaxation behavior and microstructure of norbornyl-POSS hybrid copolymers have been examined for their dependencies on the mole fraction of POSS-norbornyl monomer, as well as for potential sensitivity to the seven inert “R” groups present in each POSS macromer. POSS copolymerization is observed to enhance the α-relaxation temperature, Tα, in proportion to the mole fraction of POSS-norbornyl comonomer. Interestingly, however, the magnitude of this dependence is larger for POSS-norbornyl comonomer possessing cyclohexyl groups (CyPOSS) than for cyclopentyl groups (CpPOSS). While POSS copolymerization yields only slight enhancement of the tensile storage modulus measured near room temperature, at temperatures lower than a strong mechanical relaxation (β-relaxation near T = -75 °C), there is a significant POSS-reinforcement of the storage modulus.

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Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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