Comparison of titanium-oxo-clusters derived from sol-gel precursors with TiO2 nanoparticles in drying oil based ceramer coatings

Hybrid coatings (inorganic-organic) were prepared using a blown and epoxidi zed soybean oil as the organic matrix. Both TiO2 particles and titanium sol -gel precursors (Titanium tetra-i-propoxide, TIP; titanium (di-i-propoxide) bis(acetylactonate), TIA) were incorporated into the coating. Three sizes of TiO2 particles ranging from 32 nm to 500 nm were used for comparison wit h the metal-oxo-clusters. General mechanical coating properties, tensile pr operties, and viscoelastic properties of the sol-gel (ceramer) system were evaluated for the coatings, and the sol-gel derived metal-oxo-clusters were found to have higher tensile modulus storage modulus (E'), and t2 compared with the TiO2 particles.