Nanocomposites of a Bismaleimide Resin With Octaphenylsilsesquioxane or Nano-SiO2

Nanocomposites were prepared from the resin of 4,4'-bismaleimido-diphenylmethane (BDM) with dipropargyl ethers of hexafluorobisphenol A (DPBPF) and octaphenylsilsesquioxane (OPS) or nano-SiO2. The nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The results exhibited that OPS or nano-SiO2 particles could be easily dispersed in the nanocomposites and the glass transition and decomposition temperatures of c-BDM-DPBPF-OPS and c-BDM-DPBPF-SiO2 nanocomposites were higher than those of c-BDM-DPBPF resin. The reinforcement of OPS was more effective than that of nano-SiO2 in the nanocomposites. POLYM. COMPOS., 32:125-130, 2011. (C) 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers