High-Temperature Resistant Polyborosilazanes with Tailored Structures

Boron-containing organosilicon polymers are widely used under harsh environments as preceramic polymers for advanced ceramics fabrication. However, harmful chemicals released during synthesis and the complex synthesis routes have limited their applications. To solve the problems, a two-component route was adopted to synthesize cross-linked boron-containing silicone polymer (CPBCS) via a solventless process. The boron content and CPBCSs’ polymeric structures could be readily tuned through controlling the ratio of multifunctional boron hybrid silazane monomers (BSZ12) and poly[imino(methylsilylene)]. The CPBCSs showed high thermal stability and good mechanical properties. The CPBCS with Si-H/C=C ratio of 10:1 showed 75 wt% char yields at 1000 °C in argon, and the heat release capacity (HRC) and total heat release (THR) are determined to be 37.9 J/g K and 6.2 KJ/g, demonstrating high thermal stability and flame retardancy. The reduced modulus and hardness of CPBCS are 0.30 GPa and 2.32 GPa, respectively. The novel polysilazanes can be potentially used under harsh environments, such as high temperatures or fire hazards.

A novel carborane-containing ceramic precursor: Synthesis, characterization, and ceramic conversion mechanism

Linear carborane-carbosilane-phenylacetylene polymers have been synthesized as precursors for ceramic and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), and carbon-nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR). Novel linear polymers have the advantage of being extremely easy to process and convert into ceramics, since they are either viscous liquids or low melting solids at room temperature and are soluble in most organic solvents. Ceramic conversion reaction of the polymers was studied, and the conversion mechanism using thermogravimetric analyzer, FT-IR, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was proposed. During the early heating period in the mechanism, the precursor polymer is cured and oligomer is formed. Then the degradation of oligomer takes place at higher temperatures with the weak bond cleaved and cross-linked simultaneously. Ceramic yield of the polymer after heating up to 1000°C in nitrogen (N2) was 77.6%. The derived ceramics exhibit excellent thermal and thermo-oxidative stability, whose 5% mass loss temperature was identified to be 650°C in N2 and 665°C in air, respectively. Boron appears to be the key element to achieve the outstanding thermo-oxidative stability. The relevant kinetic data were obtained by two kinds of model-free-kinetic algorithms, differential Friedman and integral Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose. These two methods were combined to give the energy profile, which has been identified to be a function of the transformation degree ( α), since the energy demand at each degradation stage is different depending on α.

Silicon alkyne hybrid polymers containing Si–H and Si–CH3

A silicon-containing polymer (HMSA), synthesized with n-BuLi, trichloroethylene, dichloromethylsilane, and dimethyldichlorosilane, with three different proportions of Si–H, and its influence on thermal oxidation have been studied. The structures of HMSA were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra, 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H-NMR), 13C-NMR, 29Si-NMR, and gel permeation chromatography. Thermal and oxidative stabilities were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, and the cross-linking reaction mechanisms of the HMSA were discussed. All the polymers exhibited excellent thermal and oxidation resistance; particularly, HMSA-1 showed high heat-resistant and thermo-oxidative stability; the temperatures of 5% weight loss ( Td5) were 636.3 and 645.5°C, and the residues at 1000°C were 87.07 and 86.23% in nitrogen and air, respectively. This system had excellent thermal and oxidative stability, and through the structure design, control of heat oxidation resistance was realized.

A novel boron–silicon–alkynyl hybrid copolymer

A novel boron–silicon–alkynyl hybrid copolymer (BSD) was synthesized by condensation polymerization of 1,3-diethynylbenzene with dichloromethylsilane and boron trifluoride etherate. Fourier transform infrared and 1H-, 13C-, and 29Si-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies were used to confirm the structures of the copolymers. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry showed that the polymer exhibited excellent heat resistance and thermo-oxidative stabilities under nitrogen and air. The cure cross-linking reaction mechanisms of the BSD were related to Diels–Alder intermolecular cyclization involving two C≡C bonds and hydrosilylation reaction between Si–H and C≡C bonds. The [Formula: see text] of the BSD was above 591°C and 530°C under nitrogen and air, respectively. The residues at 1000°C were above 88% under nitrogen and 25% in air. X-ray diffraction was used to study the formation of ceramics. The precursor for ceramics (β-SiC, α-SiC, and B4C) was formed at 1600°C under an argon atmosphere. The thermo-oxidative stabilities of the copolymers were attributed to the existing organic groups of alkynyl and inorganic elements of silicon and boron.

Thermal curing of novel carborane-containing phenylethynyl terminated imide oligomers

The thermal behavior of novel carborane-containing phenylethynyl terminated imide model compound and resultant resin systems was studied in this paper.