FILLED INTERPENETRATING NETWORKS - THEIR FORMATION AND VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES

The kinetics of curing, the microphase separation process (MPS) and th e viscoelastic properties of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on crosslinked polyurethane and linear poly(butyl methacrylate) were studied in the presence of two fillers-talc and polymeric fine-di sperse triethylene glycol dimethacrylate. It was found that introducin g filler into the reaction mixture changes the reaction kinetics and d egree of microphase separation, which in turn affects the viscoelastic properties of the IPNs. The data obtained by dynamic mechanical spect roscopy and differential scanning calorimetry for filled semi-IPNs and calculations of the degree of segregation of the components show that filler introduction results in MPS inhibition on account of a local i ncrease in viscosity near the solid interface, i.e. compatibility is i ncreased.