PTMO-cured epoxy composites loaded by PTMO-coated silica nanoparticles

Polymer nanocomposites have drawn considerable research interest due to significant enhancement in thermomechanical, electrical and morphological properties as compared to the pristine polymer matrix [1-3]. In the present study poly (tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG) is converted to the corresponding NH2-terminated poly (tetramethylen oxide)(PTMO). Amine-functonallized PTMO (H2N-PTMO-NH2) is used both as the hardener of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A resin to reach the related epoxy network and as the surface-modifier of silica nanoparticles. The resulting PTMO- derived epoxies are prodused in the presence of PTMO-coated silica nanoparticles, as shown in figure 1.