Improvement of polymer performance by cubic-oligosilsesquioxane

Cubic-oligosilsesquioxane is a new class of organosilicon compound with a nano-scale cubic structure. The novel structure of cubic-oligosilsesquioxane is expected to lead to novel molecular properties, different from those of conventional organosilicon compounds. The first half of this paper will explain the expected characteristics and performances of cubic-oligosilsesquioxane as a polymer modifier. In the latter half, an example of the practical application in improving the performance of poly(phenylene ether) (PPE) is illustrated. Addition of small amounts of cubic-oligosilsesquioxane dramatically improves both the anti-flammability and the melt processability of PPE at the same time, while maintaining the excellent thermal resistance of PPE. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.