Compatibilization of Polymer Blends with POSS
Abstract
Uniform thin films of poly(methylmethacrylate)- polyhedral oligomeric silesquioxane (PMMA- POSS) and blends of other polymers and PMMA -POSS could be produced by dissolving the polymers in a suitable solvents and spin casting onto native oxide covered silicon substrates. The amount of POSS on the PMMA backbone varied from 0 to 15%. The films were annealed (various times and temperatures) and analyzed with transmission x-ray and electron microscopy as well as scanning force microscopy and dynamic secondary ion mass spectroscopy (DSIMS). The results show that the POSS is uniformly distributed in the PMMA matrix and no crystalline POSS domains are observed. The interfacial width between PMMA-POSS and deuterated PMMA homopolymer was measured with DSIMS to determine the miscibility as a function of POSS concentration. The results show that the interfacial width is less than 10 nanometers, or the DSIMS resolution even after annealing for 4 days at 170 C. No dependence on POSS concentration for x>=5% was observed. In contrast to the PMMA/ PMMA-POSS blends, the addition of POSS to the backbone seemed to act as a compatibilizer when the materials were blended with monodisperse polystyrene. The interfacial tension, as deduced from contact angle measurements, was found to decrease by an order of magnitude with the addition of 10% POSS. The decrease was nearly exponential with POSS concentration. These results will be compared with SCF calculations of the compatibilization effectiveness of inorganic additives in blends.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- March 2000
- Bibcode:
- 2000APS..MARK22011S