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Composite materials based on polydimethylsiloxane and in situ generated silica by using the sol–gel technique
Author(s) -
Alexandru Mihaela,
Cristea Mariana,
Cazacu Maria,
Ioanid Aurelia,
Simionescu Bogdan C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.20608
Subject(s) - materials science , octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane , tetraethyl orthosilicate , differential scanning calorimetry , polydimethylsiloxane , fumed silica , composite material , in situ polymerization , cationic polymerization , composite number , scanning electron microscope , chemical engineering , hydrophobic silica , polymer , sol gel , vinyltriethoxysilane , polymerization , polymer chemistry , silane , physics , engineering , thermodynamics , nanotechnology
Abstract A polydimethylsiloxane‐α,ω‐diol with molar mass M n = 43,000 has been synthesized by cationic polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and reinforced with silica. Two pathways were used for incorporation of silica in the polymeric matrix: ex situ by mechanical blending of a pretreated fumed silica and in situ by adding tetraethyl‐orthosilicate (TEOS) as silica precursor in the polymer matrix followed by their hydrolysis and condensation (sol–gel technique). The procedure occurred in the absence of solvent. Composites with different contents of silica were prepared and investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results were compared to those obtained on a model network based on the same polysiloxane without silica. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers