Prediction of selected physical and mechanical properties of a telechelic polybenzoxazine by molecular simulation

PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e61179. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061179. Epub 2013 Apr 8.

Abstract

Molecular simulation is becoming an important tool for both understanding polymeric structures and predicting their physical and mechanical properties. In this study, temperature ramped molecular dynamics simulations are used to predict two physical properties (i.e., glass transition temperature and thermal degradation temperature) of a previously synthesised and published telechelic benzoxazine. Plots of simulated density versus temperature show decreases in density within the same temperature range as experimental values for the thermal degradation. The predicted value for the thermal degradation temperature for the cured polybenzoxazine based on the telechelic polyetherketone (PEK) monomer was ca. 400°C, in line with the experimental thermal degradation temperature range of 450°C to 500°C. Mechanical Properties of both the unmodified PEK and the telechelic benzoxazines are simulated and compared to experimental values (where available). The introduction of the benoxazine moieties are predicted to increase the elastic moduli in line with the increase of crosslinking in the system.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzoxazines / chemistry*
  • Mechanical Phenomena*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Phase Transition
  • Physical Phenomena*
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Benzoxazines
  • Polymers

Grants and funding

We thank Hunstman Advanced Materials for studentship support for WAWH. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.