Effect of acetic acid content on in situ preparation of epoxy/zirconia hybrid materials

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 45; no. 22; pp. 6159 - 6165
• Main Authors: Ochi, Mitsukazu, Nii, Daisuke, Harada, Miyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.11.2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Acids; Alkoxides; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Glass transition temperature; Materials Science; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Optical properties; Organic acids; Polymer Sciences; Polymerization; Separation; Silicon; Solid Mechanics; Solid phases; Storage modulus; Zirconium; Zirconium dioxide; Zirconium oxide; Zirconia; Hybrid System; Storage Modulus; Hybrid Material; Epoxy Matrix
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-010-4702-2

Epoxy/zirconia hybrid materials were synthesized via in situ polymerization of acetic acid-modified zirconium alkoxide. The reactivity of acetic acid-modified zirconium alkoxide changed with the amount of acetic acid added. In the hybrid materials, the phase structure varied between the homogeneous phase and nanophase separation as the reactivity of zirconium alkoxide changed. At the molecular level, the storage modulus in the rubbery region significantly increased and the peak area of tan δ in the glass-transition temperature region decreased with increasing zirconia contents in the hybrid dispersed zirconia. Additionally, the optical properties of the hybrid materials in the homogeneous phase were better than those in the system with nanophase separation.