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Polymers and Polymer Composites

COVALENTLY CONNECTING NANOPARTICLES WITH EPOXY MATRIX AND ITS EFFECT ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF TRIBOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPOSITES

March 1, 2005 By: Ying Luo; Min Zhi Rong; Ming Qui Zhang Research article

Title: COVALENTLY CONNECTING NANOPARTICLES WITH EPOXY MATRIX AND ITS EFFECT ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF TRIBOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPOSITES
Page Range: p.245-252
Author(s): Ying Luo; Min Zhi Rong; Ming Qui Zhang
File size: 345K
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Journal: Polymers and Polymer Composites
Issue Year: ppc
Volume: 13
Issue No: No. 3

Abstract
Graft polymerisation of glycidyl methacrylate, which can form chemical bonding with epoxy during the subsequent composites manufacturing, onto the surface of nanoparticle-sized silicon carbide, proved to be an effective method of producing nano-silicon carbide epoxy composites with high tribological performance. Graft polymerisation by means of soapless emulsion polymerisation resulted in composite particles consisting of silicon carbide core and polymeric shell, in which the polyglycidyl methacrylate (PGMA) was bonded to the nanoparticles by the double bonds introduced during the pretreatment with a coupling agent. Compared with untreated such particles, the grafted versions were shown to exhibit improved dispersibility, and in addition were able to establish chemical bonding between the fillers and matrix through the reaction between the epoxide groups and the curing agent when compounded with epoxy. As a result of these advantages, the epoxy composites filled with PGMA-grafted nano silicon carbide particles demonstrated high sliding wear resistance and low frictional coefficient at a low filler loading. 19 refs.

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