SILICON SECONDARY CROSS-LINKED IPN BASED ON POLY(METHYL ACRYLATE-CO-HYDROXYLETHYL ACRYLATE) AND SIO2

Silicon secondary crosslinked interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of poly(methyl acrylate-co-hydroxylethyl acrylate) (PMA-HEA) and SiO2 were prepared and characterized. The effects of composition, water co ntent and substrate plate on the phase morphology of the IPNs of PMA-H EA/SiO2 were studied by SEM, and the T-g measured by d.s.c. The broade ning of the transition region was observed with the increase of water content and the prolongation of the reflux time, and the tendency of t he aggregation of silicon in the surface and bottom was also observed with Teflon as a substrate plate. However, an optically transparent fi lm was easily achieved at higher temperature due to the chemical cross link and physical entanglement between the two phases of PMA-HEA and S iO2. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.