Hybrid Plastics, Inc.

Sixun Zheng

Joseph D Lichtenhan

Joseph J Schwab

Frank J Feher

The nanoscopic dimensions of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) and polyhedral oligomeric silicates (POS) materials ranges from 0.7 nm to 5.0 nm and enables the thermomechanical and physical properties of polymeric materials to be improved by providing nanoscopic reinforcement of polymer chains at a length scale that is not possible by physically smaller aromatic chemical systems or larger fillers and fibers. A simple and cost effective method for incorporating POSS/POS nanoreinforcements onto polymers via the reactive grafting of suitably functionalized POSS/POS entities with polymeric systems amenable to such processes is described. The method teaches that the resulting POSS-grafted-polymers are particularly well suited for alloying agents by nongrafted POSS entitles such as molecular silicas. The successful alloying of POSS-polymers is aided because their interfacial tensions are reduced relative to non-POSS containing systems.

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Shanghai, China

Sixun Zheng