Thermally stable nanoporous cyanate ester resin/linear polyurethane hybrid networks created by nuclear technologies

• Published in: Polymer (Guilford) Vol. 228; p. 123831
• Main Authors: Grigoryeva, Olga, Fainleib, Alexander, Starostenko, Olga, Gusakova, Kristina, Sakhno, Viktor, Borzakovskiy, Andrey, Kovalinska, Tetyana, Youssef, Boulous, Gouanve, Fabrice, Espuche, Eliane, Grande, Daniel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 16.07.2021; Elsevier BV; Elsevier
• Subjects: Chemical etching; Chemical Sciences; Cyanate ester resins; Cyanates; Diameters; Etching; Gamma rays; Gas transport; Gas transport properties; Irradiation; Membranes; Nanoporous films; Nuclear technologies; Polymer films; Polymers; Polyurethane; Polyurethane resins; Radiochemistry; Resins; Structure-property relationships; Thermal stability; Track-etched membranes; Transport properties; Ultrafiltration; α Radiation; Track-etched membranes; Cyanate ester resins; Nuclear technologies; Nanoporous films; Gas transport properties; Structure-property relationships; gas transport properties; track-etched membranes; nanoporous films; cyanate ester resins; nuclear technologies; structure-property relationships
• ISSN: 0032-3861; 1873-2291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2021.123831

Thermally stable nanoporous polymer films have been created as promising materials for membrane technologies. Thermosetting Cyanate Ester Resins (CERs) and linear polyurethane (LPU) were combined by stepwise thermal curing, and the films of resulting hybrid polymers were irradiated with α-particles followed by chemical etching. Well-defined highly regular nanoporous structures were developed in the films as evidenced by using SEM. No significant changes in chemical structure of the polymer systems obtained after α-irradiation were observed by FTIR spectroscopy measurements. The polymer films obtained on the basis of hybrid networks with the CER/LPU composition equal to 90/10 wt% had quite narrow pore diameter distribution with average pore diameters around 12 nm. DSC and TGA measurements showed that the thermal characteristics of the nanoporous films were sufficiently high (Тg ~ 167–199 °C, Тd5% ~ 293–359 °C, and Тd max ~ 429–457 °C). The CER/LPU nanoporous thermosetting materials demonstrated effective gas transport properties tested with gases, such as О2, СО2, N2, and СН4. The combination of an additional sensitization step using γ-rays and longer time of chemical etching improved the properties of the nanoporous systems developed. Such materials open the way to numerous applications, for example, as ultrafiltration membranes for advanced technologies, especially under extreme conditions. [Display omitted] •Thermostable nanoporous membranes are developed using track-etching technologies.•Nanoporous CER/LPU hybrid networks show effective transport properties with О2, СО2, N2, and СН4.•The effect of sensitization with γ-rays and longer time of chemical etching is investigated.