1/28/2011
Mechanical and thermal properties and flame retardancy of phosphorus-containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (DOPO-POSS)/polycarbonate composites  
(2541-2546)  Polymer Degradation and Stability 95 #12 (2010)
Zhang, Li, Guo and Yan of the Beijing Institute of Technology,, China developed a polyyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane containing 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO-POSS) incorporated into polycarbonate (PC) composites.  The composite had an LOI value of 30.5 and a UL-94 rating V-0 when the content of DOPO-POSS was 4%.  (RDC 1/29/2011)

Synthesis and self-assembly of thermotropic block copolymer with long alkyl tethered cage silsesquioxane in the side chain
(2653–2664)Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer  Chemistry 49 #12 (2011)
Ishida et al of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, develped thermotropic POSS-containing poly(methacrylate) with long alkyl chain tethered polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) in the side chain and the block copolymers (PMMA-b-PMAC11POSS) through living anionic polymerization.  The resulting polymers indicated a phase transition temperature at 112 °C from spherocrystal to isotropic phase.  The POSS-containing polymer segments tended to form matrix of microphase-separated nanostructures in the bulk even in the very low volume fraction, for instance, PMMA cylindrical nanostructure was obtained by PMMA175-b-PMAC11POSS11 (ϕPMAC11POSS= 0.44). The control of thin film morphology was carried out by not only solvent annealing, but also thermal annealing, resulting in the formation of well-ordered dot- and fingerprint-type nanostructures. This is the first report in a series of POSS-containing block polymers that are capable for thermal annealing to generate well-ordered microphase-separated nanostructures in thin films. The novel thermotropic POSS-containing block copolymer offers a promising material for block copolymer lithography.  (RDC 5/24/2011)

Synthesis and characterization of star-shaped block copolymers with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)core via ATRP
(863-872) Polymer Bulletin 65 #9 (2010)
Wang et al of Hefei University of Technology, China prepared star-shaped PMMA-b-PS block copolymers with POSS coreby atom transfer radical polymerization of St using star-shaped POSS/PMMA-Cl as a macroinitiator in presence of CuCl, 2,2,-bipyridine, toluene at 110 °C.  The core-first method, which used an active multifunctional core to initiate the growth of polymer chains, was applicable to making star-shaped block copolymers with POSS core. (RDC 1/28/2011).

Preparation, morphology, and ultra-low dielectric constants of benzoxazine-based polymers/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocomposites 
(5567-5575) Polymer 51 #23 (2010)
Tseng and Liu of , Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan copolymerized furan-containing benzoxazine compounds and methylmethacrylate-POSS (MMA-POSS). resultin in nanocomposites having 0 to 70 wt% MMA-POSS fractions and 0 to 28 wt%  POSS fractions.  The high contents of MMA-POSS of the nanocomposites result in a reduction of their dielectric constants to 2.3. Moreover, some nanocomposites have POSS forming nanometer lamellar structure. This POSS orientation further reduces the dielectric constants to1.9. (RDC 12/17/2010)

Cure kinetics and chemorheological behavior of a wind epoxy resin system and its viscoelastic properties reinforced by glass fiber matt with process of vacuum assisted resin transfer molding
(477-484) High Performance Polymers 23 #6 (2011)
Abstract
Wen et al ofSouth China University of Technology, China, studied the processability of a wind epoxy resin for the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process.  No obvious vitrification appeared in the epoxy system and the apparent active energy of the cure reaction calculated by gel time was almost the same as the differential scanning calorimetry result.  What is more, the viscoelastic properties of the composite reinforced by glass fiber matt was characterized through dynamic mechanical analysis, and it proved that post-cure was necessary to ensure complete cure and that the stiffness increased several magnitudes after glass fiber reinforcement.  (RDC 10/11/2011)

Resin flowing analysis in sandwich laminates under VARTM process
(533-545) Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 30 #6 (2011)
Abstract
Jhan, Lee and Chung National Taiwan University and the United Ship Design & Development Center, Taiwan did sandwich structure infusion experiments under the VARTM process, and defined four resin saturation stages inside the sandwich assembly by observing and explaining the nonlinear experimental flowing fronts.  This study also discussed the race-tracking phenomenon of the sandwich structure in detail. This research executed infusion simulations in the 3D sandwich model, including fiber layers and grooves replaced by the circular pipe elements, to compare with the experimental results. Realization of the permeant characteristics in the sandwich structure establishes a base to ensure complete saturation and to analyze the manufacture of large sandwich structures.  (RDC 5/25/2011)

High temperature vacuum assisted resin transfer molding of phenylethynyl terminated imide composites
(52–58)Polymer Composites 32 #1 (2011)
Fu et al of Florida State University, Florida and Air Force Research Laboratory, Ohio used Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) for molding phenylethynyl terminated imides (PETIs).  Two processing methods, in-plane and through-thickness resin flow, were proposed and tested. Both methods are capable of fabricating polyimide matrix composites; and the carbon fiber laminates yield good fiber-resin interfacial bonding and comparable mechanical properties to those laminates fabricated using RTM. (RDC 1/28/2011)

2/4/2011
Ultradrawing properties of ultrahigh- molecular-weight polyethylene/carbon nanotube fibers prepared at various formation temperatures
(59–68)Polymer International 60 #1 (2011)
Yeh et al from Taiwan and China studied the influence of formation temperature on the ultradrawing properties of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene/carbon nanotube (UHMWPE/CNT) fiber specimens.  The achievable draw ratio (Dra) values of UHMWPE/CNT as-prepared fibers reach a maximum when they are prepared with the optimum CNT content and formation temperature.  The Dra value of UHMWPE/CNT as-prepared fibers produced using the optimum CNT content and formation temperature is about 33% higher than that of UHMWPE as-prepared fibers produced using the optimum concentration and formation temperature. The percentage crystallinity (Wc) and melting temperature (Tm) of UHMWPE/CNT as-prepared fiber specimens increase significantly as the formation temperature increases. In contrast, Wc increases but Tm decreases significantly as the CNT content increases.  (RDC 2/3/2011)

 To get to the abstract or article, copy the citation and paste it into favorite search engine (ex. Google). The date is the date the entry was found. 8/14/2009 Processing and tensile characterization of composites composed of carbon nanotube-grown carbon fibers (1299-1304) Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 40 #8 (2009) 08/07/2009 Carbon fibers modified with carbon nanotubes (4721-4727) Journal of Materials Science 44 #17 (2009) 2/20/2009 The effect of nanotube alignment on stress graphitization of carbon/carbon nanotube composites (974-980) Carbon 47 #4 (2009)