The incorporation of nanoparticles into polydimethylsiloxane polymers either in the form of physical blending or chemical crosslinking has long been studied as it can improve the properties of composite materials. Interactions between the host polymer and the filler particle, filler concentration and conformation of each component are the key factors that influence these properties. Understanding the effect of these factors is of fundamental importance in all practical applications of composite materials. This thesis describes the study of a range of PDMS composites by using a variety of experimental techniques. The main techniques used were spin-spin (T2) relaxation and diffusion NMR spectroscopy, rheology and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The molecular mobility of a series of PDMS melts has been studied for both unentangled and entangled molecular weight regimes separated by the critical entanglement molecular weight (Mc) of the polymer. The experimental results revealed the effect of molecular weight and polydispersity of the polymers on their segmental mobility. The dramatic decrease of chain mobility observed at molecular weight above Mc was attributed to the effect of chain entanglements. The effect of nano-sized trimethylsilylated polysilicate resin (R2) on the chain mobility of PDMS in the form of physically blended was also examined. Two different concentrations (17 and 30 vol%) of R2 were incorporated into a wide range molecular weight of PDMS melts. Below Mc, the R2 particle was found to reinforce the PDMS at all particle loadings, whereas a plasticisation effect was observed for high molecular weight PDMS above Mc. This was attributed to a reduction of the degree of the entanglements when polymer chains adsorbed on particles. Chemically bonded composites of PDMS and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) were successfully synthesised via hydrosilylation. The length of the PDMS central block was found to affect both the size and the molecular mobility of the triblock polymers. The weight fraction of POSS and substituted groups on POSS were also seen to affect the molecular mobility. Finally, a series ofrandom crosslink polymer films ofPDMS and phenylsilsesquioxane (TPh) was studied by AFM, TEM, SAXS and SANS techniques to investigate the factors influencing the optical clarity of the samples. The degree of swelling and the segmental mobility of the sample films swollen in good and poor solvents were also studied.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:654111 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Muangpil, Sairoong |
| Publisher | University of Bristol |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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