CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOSITES BASED ON PMMA MODIFIED GEL SILICA GLASSES

Gel silica glass prepared by the sol-gel process can be modified by incorporating an organic phase into the intrinsically porous inorganic gel matrix, which results in a composite material with much improved mechanical and optical properties. Characterisation of PMMA modified gel silica glass prepared by the in situ polymerisation method using FT-Raman spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography and the nitrogen adsorption technique are reported. Some essential problems encountered in the preparation are discussed.