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Why POSS-Type Compounds Should Be Considered Nanomodifiers, Not Nanofillers-A Polypropylene Blends Case Study
Dariusz Brząkalski1, Robert E Przekop2, Bogna Sztorch2
1Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
Polymers
|July 2, 2021
Summary
Cage siloxane (CS) compounds, including silsesquioxanes and spherosilicates, were evaluated as additives for isotactic polypropylene (iPP) nanocomposites. These functional additives enhanced the mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting iPP-based materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Silsesquioxanes (SSQ) and spherosilicates (SS) are types of cage siloxane (CS) compounds.
- Isotactic polypropylene (iPP) is a widely used polymer in various applications.
- Functional additives can significantly modify the properties of polymer nanocomposites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of cage siloxane (CS) compounds as functional additives in isotactic polypropylene (iPP)-based nanocomposites.
- To understand the rationale behind the applicability of CS compounds in iPP nanocomposites.
- To compare the performance of CS/iPP nanocomposites with previously studied CS/polyolefin composites.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of cage siloxane (CS) compounds via condensation and olefin hydrosilylation reactions.
- Preparation of iPP-based nanocomposites incorporating the synthesized CS compounds.
- Characterization of CS/iPP nanocomposites using mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TGA), and Vicat softening point analysis.
Main Results:
- The incorporation of CS compounds into iPP resulted in modified mechanical, microscopic, thermal, and thermomechanical properties of the nanocomposites.
- Analysis revealed the specific effects of different CS structures on the overall performance of the iPP matrix.
- The findings provide insights into the structure-property relationships of CS/iPP nanocomposites.
Conclusions:
- Cage siloxane (CS) compounds demonstrate potential as effective functional additives for enhancing isotactic polypropylene (iPP) properties.
- The study elucidates the role of CS compounds in modifying iPP nanocomposites, suggesting their utility in plastic processing.
- Further research can explore optimized CS structures and processing conditions for tailored iPP nanocomposite performance.
Keywords:
POSSadditivescompositeslow concentrationnanomodifierspolypropylene (PP)processingsilsesquioxanesspherosilicatesthermal propertiesMore Related Videos
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