Syntheses and polymerization of epoxy monomers consisting of carbosilane segments and properties of the networked polymers
Two diglycidyl ethers which consist of a flexible carbosilane segments and of rigid phenylene moieties (1 and 2) were synthesized and investigated in order to evaluate their heat-curing behavior (epoxy homopolymerization) as well as thermal and mechanical properties of the networked polymers. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed that melting points of both diepoxides were??73.9 and??50.7?°C, respectively. Networked polymers of 1 and 2 showed glass transition temperature (Tg)s below ambient temperature of 2.2 and 18.7?°C, respectively. High thermal stability of cured 1 and 2 were confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) (5% weight loss temperature (Td5)?=?369?°C for 1 and 351?°C for 2). Tensile tests of cured 1 and 2 clarified that their Young's moduli were (9.76?±?0.135)?2 and (1.29?±?0.114) ?1?MPa, respectively.