Novel cycloaliphatic epoxy resins. II. Curing reaction with BF3MEA and its cured properties

The BF₃MEA curing reaction and the cured properties of novel cycloaliphatic epoxy resins (CE-resins), which were derived from an octadienyl compound, were studied. Gelation time and the DSC scan of the CE resins, with BF₃MEA hardener, proved that the reactivity of the CE resins is intermediate among the reactivities of the conventional resins; it was found that the CE resins react faster than DGEBA, but slower than the conventional cycloaliphatic epoxy resins. The pot life of the CE- (III) resin with BF₃MEA hardener proved to be over 30 days at a temperature of 20°C. The thermal properties are affected by the amount of BF₃MEA used and the curing conditions. CE-(III) showed the highest HDT of over 200°C with 2–3 phr of BF₃MEA. The flexural properties of CE-(I) proved to be flexible and tough. CE-(II) exhibited the highest strength and elongation, while CE-(III) had the same flexural properties as DGEBA. Furthermore, the blending of CE-(II) with DGEBA produced greater flexural strength and greater elongation than each original resin had. The thermal stability at elevated temperature and the water resistance of the cured CE resins proved to be inferior to those of DGEBA and novolac epoxy resin, probably due to the use of BF₃MEA. These results suggest the CE resin will provide a new application for a one-component curing system for composites. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and Thermal Characterization of Novel Fluorene-Based Polysiloxane Derivatives

Three novel poly(tetramethylsilfluorenylenesiloxane) derivatives having different substituent at 9-position of fluorenylene moiety, i.e. dimethyl (P1), spirocyclohexyl (P2), and spirofluorenyl (P3) substituents, were obtained by polycondensation of novel three disilanol monomers, i.e. 2,7-bis(dimethylhydroxysilyl)-9,9-dimethyl- fluorene (M1), 2’,7’-bis(dimethylhydroxysilyl)-spiro(cyclohexane-1,9’-fluorene) (M2), 2,7-bis(dimethylhydroxysilyl)-9,9’-spirobifluorene (M3), respectively. P1–P3 exhibited the good solubility in common organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), chloroform, dichloromethane, and toluene. It was suggested from the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the X-ray diffraction analysis that P1 exhibited the crystallinity whereas P2 and P3 were amorphous polymers. The glass transition temperature (T _g) determined by DSC and the temperature at 5% weight loss (T _d5) determined by thermogravimetry (TG) were dependent on the substituent at 9-position on fluorene; both orders of T _g and T _d5 were P3 > P2 > P1, indicating the bulkiness of substituent at 9-position of fluorene resulted in the good thermal stability. It is noteworthy that amorphous P3 exhibiting very high T _g of 156 °C and T _d5 of 535 °C is a new heat-resistant polysiloxane derivative as well as a promising candidate for blue-light-emitting materials.     

Novel photoinduced alignment phenomenon of liquid crystals on aromatic polyamide films

The liquid‐crystal (LC) alignment properties of polyamide films exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light were investigated. It was found that the uniform and stable alignment of LC molecules was achieved on films of aromatic polyamides exposed to linearly polarized UV light, even though these polymers contained no common photoreactive group such as cinnamoyl, coumarin, or azo chromophore. The alignment was induced in the same direction, which was perpendicular to the electric‐field vector of the linearly polarized light. The change in the UV‐visible absorption spectra before and after UV exposure suggested that the photoreaction of aromatic polyamide occurred only on the film surface, and that even such a small change in the film was enough to induce uniform alignment of the LC molecules. Furthermore, it was suggested that the photoreaction of this system was accelerated in the presence of oxygen. This paper also deals with the effect of the chemical structure of polymers on their LC photoalignment characteristics, i.e., the sensitivity of the photoinduced LC alignment. As a result, polymer materials with excellent LC photoalignment sensitivity have been determined, which could induce the uniform and unidirectional LC alignment by irradiation of 0.2–0.5 J‐cm^?2 of linearly polarized 313‐nm light. In addition, the alignment of the LC cell was found to be thermally and optically stable.     

Cubic-Formation and Grain-Growth Mechanisms in Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal

The microstructure in Y₂O₃-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) sintered at 1300°–1500°C was examined to clarify the role of Y³⁺ ions on grain growth and the formation of cubic phase. The grain size and the fraction of the cubic phase in Y-TZP increased as the sintering temperature increased. Both the fraction of the tetragonal phase and the Y₂O₃ concentration within the tetragonal phase decreased with increasing fraction of the cubic phase. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements revealed that cubic phase regions in grain interiors in Y-TZP generated as the sintering temperature increased. High-resolution electron microscopy and nanoprobe EDS measurements revealed that no amorphous layer or second phase existed along the grain-boundary faces in Y-TZP and Y³⁺ ions segregated at their grain boundaries over a width of ∼10 nm. Taking into account these results, it was clarified that cubic phase regions in grain interiors started to form from grain boundaries and the triple junctions in which Y³⁺ ions segregated. The cubic-formation and grain-growth mechanisms in Y-TZP can be explained using the grain boundary segregation-induced phase transformation model and the solute drag effect of Y³⁺ ions segregating along the grain boundary, respectively.     

Dynamic Properties of Laser Speckles on Images Transmitted Through an Image Fibre-bundle

Abstract

The statistical properties of time-varying laser speckles appearing on an image transmitted through an image fibre-bundle are studied experimentally and theoretically. The effect of defocusing on a stage of observation is investigated in relation to the stationarity of the detected speckle intensity. It is shown that a large amount of defocusing produces a stationary speckle field for which the correlation function of the speckle intensity variation is obtained in a stable form. This allows a system for monitoring the velocity of moving objects using an image fibre-bundle to be developed.     

Oxidation of 3-methylindole catalyzed by cobalt(II)phthalocyanines covalently bound to polyorganosiloxane

Two kinds of cobalt(II)phthalocyanines covalently bound to polyorganosiloxane (POS) were prepared to be applied as catalysts for the oxidation of 3-methylindole in organic solvents. The catalytic activity of the POS whose carboxyl residues were methyl-esterified was high compared with that of the POS which has carboxyl residues. The former polymeric atalyst exhibited higher catalytic activity than monomolecular phthalocyanine, indicating an appearance of effects of polymer chains. The factors which influence the catalytic oxidation, e.g., polymer conformations, basicity of solvents, and equilibrium involving phthalocyanine monomer and the dimer, are discussed. It has become apparent that polymer conformation influences catalytic activity and that the catalytic activity of the POS, whose main chains are mobile, is high.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylenesiloxane) Derivatives with Oxyethylene Substituent on Phenylene Moiety

Summary Novel poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylenesiloxane) derivatives having 2-methoxy-ethoxy or 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy substituents at both 2- and 5-positions on phenylene moieties were synthesized and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry analyses. Poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylene-siloxane) derivatives were obtained by condensation polymerization of the corresponding disilanol derivatives, i.e., 1,4-bis(dimethylhydroxysilyl)-2,5-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)benzene and 1,4-bis(dimethylhydroxysilyl)-2,5-bis[2-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)ethoxy]benzene, which were prepared by the Grignard reaction using chlorodimethylsilane and the corresponding dibromobenzene derivatives followed by the hydrolyses, catalyzed by palladium on charcoal. The introduction of 2-methoxyethoxy groups on the phenylene moiety made the melting point high, compared with poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylenesiloxane); however, that of 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy groups made it low, indicating the longer oxyethylene moiety induced the lowering of the melting point. There were no significant differences in the thermostabilities of both present polymers, suggesting the length of oxyethylene moiety would not affect the thermostability, though the introduction of polar oxyethylene group onto the phenylene moiety induced a decline of thermostability.     

Microstructure and Surface Segregation of 3 mol% Y2O3-Doped ZrO2 Particles

Microstructure of a commercial 3 mol% yttria-doped zirconia nano-particulate powder was observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the distribution of yttrium cation was investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) with a probe size less than 1 nm. The cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that there are two kinds of particles, consisting of single-phase tetragonal and two phases comprising tetragonal and monoclinic. EDS analysis revealed that yttrium cations segregate to the surface of the tetragonal particle. The origin of tetragonal to monoclinic transformation was considered to be due to external stress during the powder milling process.     

Synthesis and thermal characterization of novel adamantane-based polysiloxane

Novel polysiloxane derivative having adamantyl moiety in the main chain (P1) was synthesized and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), and X-ray diffraction analysis. P1 was obtained by bulk polycondensation without catalysts as well as solution polycondensation of novel disilanol monomer, i.e., 1,3-bis[4-(dimethylhydroxysilyl)phenyl]adamantane (M1), which was prepared by the Grignard reaction using chlorodimethylsilane and 1,3-bis(4-bromophenyl)adamantane, followed by the hydrolysis catalyzed by 5% palladium on charcoal. The molecular weight of P1 was dependent on the concentration of M1 in solution polycondensation, and the high concentration of M1 would result in the high average molecular weight of P1. P1 exhibited the good solubility in common organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), chloroform, dichloromethane, and toluene. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of P1 determined from DSC would be dependent on the average molecular weight of P1. The highest T_g was 115 °C and much higher than that of poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylenesiloxane) (−20 °C). The melting temperature (T_m) of P1 seemed to be independent of the average molecular weight of P1 and was in the range of 153-157 °C, which was comparable to the T_m of poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylenesiloxane). The temperature at 5% weight loss (T_d5) of P1 determined by TG was also comparable to that of poly(tetramethyl-1,4-silphenylenesiloxane), indicating that P1 is a new polysiloxane derivative with the high T_g as well as good thermostability.     

Synthesis and thermal characterization of novel poly(tetramethyl-1,3-silphenylenesiloxane) derivative bearing adamantyl moiety

A novel poly(tetramethyl-1,3-silphenylenesiloxane) derivative having adamantyl moiety, i.e., poly(tetramethyl-5-adamantyl-1,3-silphenylenesiloxane) (P1) was synthesized by solution polycondensation of a novel disilanol monomer, i.e., 1-[3,5-(dimethylhydroxysilyl)phenyl]adamantane (M1). M1 was prepared by the Grignard reaction using chlorodimethylsilane and 1-(3,5-dibromophenyl)adamantane, followed by the hydrolysis catalyzed by 5% palladium on charcoal. P1 exhibited the good solubility in common organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), chloroform, dichloromethane, benzene, and toluene at ambient temperature. P1 was also soluble in hot hexane, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate. The glass transition temperature (T _g) and temperature at 5% weight loss (T _d5) of P1 were 85 and 517 °C, respectively, and much higher than those of poly(tetramethyl-1,3-silphenylenesiloxane), indicating that P1 is a new polysiloxane derivative with good solubility as well as good thermostability.