Silane Coupling Agents.pdfVIP

38 SEMICRYSTALLINE POLYMERS Vol. 8 SILANE COUPLING AGENTS Introduction The term silane coupling agent generally applies to silicon-containing species ca- pable of forming chemical linkages between dissimilar materials, especially in reinforced polymer composites. The materials to be linked are often organic poly- mers and inorganic fillers, though silane coupling agents can also be useful with other kinds of fillers and polymers. Small amounts of silane coupling agents, used at an interface, can greatly improve the mechanical properties of composite ma- terials. They may also be used on formed parts as coatings to alter the surface properties of materials, or copolymerized into organic polymers. Silane coupling agents are found in a broad range of applications as varied as metal coatings, dental materials, and contact lenses. The present article is focused primarily on their use in polymer composites, where they are used as interfacial modifiers. In their most common form, polymer-reinforced composite materials consist of an organic matrix and inorganic filler (here the term filler will be used in a gen- eral sense, and can include reinforcing fibers). The polymer typically forms the continuous phase that protects the filler from environmental damage and holds the composite together. The filler reinforces (improves the strength and modulus) or simply takes up space without degrading the properties of the polymer. The transfer of stresses between the fiber and filler is critical in achieving reinforce- ment. Binary mixtures of polymer and filler can have poor mechanical properties because of poor interactions between them, which result in weak interfaces. These interfaces are often the source of failure in composites through delamination. Fail- ure at interfaces is especially acute in the presence of small-molecule chemical species, such as water. Encyclopedia of