Create added value for Fillers and Pigments with Dynasylan®
The Compatibilizer: Silanes in Filled Plastics
More than 30% of all thermoplastics, thermosets, and elastomers worldwide are compounded and reinforced with fillers and fibers. Since their development more than 70 years ago, organosilanes have been used to provide a variety of performance and process benefits to mineral-filled compounds. Organosilanes provide better adhesion at the polymer-filler interface, as well as improved filler dispersability and composite durability. A hybrid between inorganic and organic constituents, the organosilane works as a molecular bridge between inorganic and organic materials. Based on the concept of “ bridging the gap”, silanes form permanent chemical bonds that not only improve but also create new exceptional functionalities. While there are many other materials called adhesion promoters or coupling agents, silanes have unique dual reactivity, which sets them apart from all other surface treatments. By forming chemical bonds, silanes work on the interface between inorganic and organic materials and do not migrate on the surface of the composite.
A significant portion of all thermoplastics, thermosets and elastomers worldwide are compounded and reinforced with fillers and fibers to obtain specific properties in the final product.
Surface modification of fillers with Dynasylan® takes simple reinforcement to a higher level by introducing such characteristics as
- improved mechanical strength
- improved electrical properties
- reduced expansion
- decreased water vapor transmission
that result in a high performance composite.
Silane-mediated filler to polymer bonding can actually be seen on the microscopic level. The following scanning electron microscope images are of a quartz-filled unsaturated polyester resin. In one case, the quartz was treated with 1 wt.% Dynasylan® MEMO, a methacrylate-functional silane; in the other, the quartz was not treated.
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With no silane treatment, gaps exist between the filler surface and the polymer matrix. These gaps are points of weakness in the filled polymer. |
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Dynasylan® MEMO acts as a molecular bridge to chemically bind the quartz into the resin. The result is a stronger, high-performance product. |
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Treatment of fillers and pigments with Dynasylan® also provides processing advantages, for example
- improved filler dispersion
- controlled rheological properties
- improved wet-out between resin and filler
To find out which Dynasylan® are recommended for treatment of fillers and pigments in various types of resins, please use our Product Finder or download our brochure from the Literature section.
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