Influence of Polar Groups on the Ability of Polymers to Form Nanopenocox when Heated to Reduce the Fire Hazard of Building Materials

The method for estimating the influence of polar groups on the temperature of the onset of the intense thermal degradation of polymers under heating is proposed. This estimate is based on the equation for calculating this value for the entire repeating link proposed earlier [1-4]. The method is computerized and is included as an integral part of the computer program "Cascade" (INEOS RAS). The calculated estimation is carried out for one of the structures of the rejected cycloaliphatic epoxy resin. The most "weak" group was the group –CO–. The temperature of the onset of intensive thermal degradation of this group is 547 K.

Development of Cycloaliphatic Epoxy-POSS Nanocomposite Matrices with Enhanced Resistance to Atomic Oxygen

The preparation of ultra-thin CFRP laminates, which incorporate a cycloaliphatic epoxy resin reinforced with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) reagent nanofiller, using out-of-autoclave procedure is reported. The influence of the amount of POSS within the laminate on the mechanical properties and surface roughness of the laminates is analysed before and after exposure to atomic oxygen (AO) to simulate the effects of low Earth orbit (LEO). The addition of 5 wt% POSS to the base epoxy leads to an increase in both flexural strength and modulus, but these values begin to fall as the POSS content rises, possibly due to issues with agglomeration. The addition of POSS offers improved resistance against AO degradation with the laminates containing 20 wt% POSS demonstrating the lowest erosion yield (1.67 × 10−24 cm2/atom) after the equivalent of a period of 12 months in a simulated LEO environment. Exposure to AO promotes the formation of a silicon-rich coating layer on the surface of the laminate, which in turn reduces roughness and increases stiffness, as evidenced by measurements of flexural properties and spectral data after exposure.