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

Tomasz Klepka; Beata Podkościelna; Dariusz Czerwiński; Bronisław Samujło

doi:10.3390/ma14237431

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

Materials (Basel). 2021 Dec 3;14(23):7431. doi: 10.3390/ma14237431.

Authors

Tomasz Klepka¹, Beata Podkościelna², Dariusz Czerwiński³, Bronisław Samujło¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Technology and Polymer Processing, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 36, 20-618 Lublin, Poland.
² Department of Polymer Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Science, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, M. Curie-Skłodowska Sq. 3, 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
³ Department of Computer Science, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 36, 20-618 Lublin, Poland.

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.

Keywords: Fréchet’s theory; hybrid composites; mechanical properties; nanoparticles; silica.

Grants and funding

030/RID/2018/19/Ministry of Science and Higher Education