Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)/poly(dimethylsiloxane) system - Architecture and selected properties

We compare the ultimate mechanical properties and glass transition temperatures of various polyblends of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) including full and pseudo interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN), in which the PPO is crosslinked to different extent with both ethylenediamine and 1,6-hexanediamine. Most of the polyblends of this system exhibit at least microphase separation with domain size varying with both composition and architecture. The full IPN's have at certain compositions a higher tensile stress to break than the crosslinked pure polymer networks. Most polyblends also exhibit multiple glass transition temperatures.