The Influence of Silica Nanoparticles on the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Crosslinked Hybrid Composites

Abstract

This paper presents the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of a new hybrid composite. Its main goals are evaluating the structure and studying the thermal and mechanical properties of the crosslinked polymeric materials based on varying chemical properties of the compounds. As an organic crosslinking monomer, bisphenol A glycerolate diacrylate (BPA.GDA) was used. Trimethoxyvinylsilane (TMVS) and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) were used as comonomers and active diluents. The inorganic fraction was the silica in the form of nanoparticles (NANOSiO2). The hybrid composites were obtained by the bulk polymerization method using the UV initiator Irqacure 651 with a constant weight ratio of the tetrafunctional monomer BPA.GDA to TMVS or NVP (7:3 wt.%) and different wt.% of silica nanoparticles (0, 1, 3%). The proper course of polymerization was confirmed by the ATR/FTIR spectroscopy and SEM EDAX analysis. In the composites spectra the signals correspond to the C=O groups from NVP at 1672–1675 cm−1, and the vibrations of Si–O–C and Si–O–Si groups at 1053–1100 cm−1 from TMVS and NANOSiO2 are visible. Thermal stabilities of the obtained composites were studied by a differential scanning calorimetry DSC. Compared to NVP the samples with TMVS degraded in one stage (422.6–425.3 °C). The NVP-derived materials decomposed in three stages (three endothermic effects on the DSC curves). The addition of NANOSiO2 increases the temperature of composites maximum degradation insignificantly. Additionally, the Shore D hardness test was carried out with original metrological measurements of changes in diameter after indentation in relation to the type of material. The accuracy analysis of the obtained test results was based on a comparative analysis of graphical curves obtained from experimental tests. The values of the changes course of similarity in the examined factors, represented by those of characteristic coefficients were determined based on the Fréchet’s theory.

Investigations of the carbonization process of hybrid polymer microspheres using the TGA-EGA method: assessment of the impact of sulphanilic acid on the process

“…In their structure, they combine polymer chains with inorganic molecules, allowing to obtain new products with improved or even unique properties, e.g. thermal, mechanical, rheological, electrical, catalytic, fire retardancy, or optical [1][2][3][4][5]. These modern materials can be used in various, sometimes very distant, fields, such as medicine, cosmetics, textiles, agriculture, food packaging, catalysis, construction, optics, and optoelectronic devices, as well as in very advanced technologies for semiconductor devices, sensors, or aerospace [1,6].…”

“…Silica or silicate species can create varied forms ranging from completely disordered and amorphous [12,13], through partially ordered (composed of defective octamers or ladder-like fragments [14,15]), to crystalline [16,17] or channel-like highly ordered [3,18]. Their rigid structure not only allows to construct internal three-dimensional frameworks, which constitute an element reinforcing the material [19], but also influences its thermochemical and insulation properties contributing to the increase in thermal and fire resistance [4,5,9,20]. According to the literature reports, a decomposition of hybrid or composite polymeric materials begins from organic parts, especially linear aliphatic hydrocarbon chains, whilst Si-O-containing species are incorporated into arising SiO x C y network.…”

Structural performance evaluation of hybrid polymer composites for critical infrastructure pick-and-place robot grippers using silica nanoparticles

“…The addition of silica nanoparticles to the polymer matrix may improve the load-bearing capacity and deformation resistance, boosting its yield strength and elastic modulus, and also exhibit outstanding thermal stability and resilience to environmental factors, including moisture. Because of the possibility of exposure to difficult working conditions or excessive temperatures, they are well suited for applications in critical infrastructure structures (Klepka et al ., 2021).…”