Morphology controls of the melt blending in a novel highly crosslinked bismaleimide system

A novel bismaleimide of 2,2-bis[4-(4-maleimidophenoxy)phenyl]propane (BMIP) with a broad working-temperature-range for the melt blending was successfully synthesized. BMIP possesses a considerably broad working-temperature-range from 75 °C to 250 °C, prior to undergoing cure reactions to form a highly crosslinked network. The morphology types of cured BMIP/clay hybrids can be controlled by varying the shearing temperatures and the contents of the clay. The conditions necessary for achieving an exfoliated or an intercalated BMIP/clay hybrid were thoroughly investigated via X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All the uncured samples prepared at different shearing temperatures and with an adequate amount of MMT-C (above 3 phr) exhibited an intercalated form of morphology. However, the crosslinking reactions for specified samples prepared at relatively elevated shearing temperatures (above 120 °C) and with a relatively low content of clay (below 15 phr) resulted in morphology changes from the intercalated form to the exfoliated form of morphology. There exists an isotropically mechanical property for the cured matrix of the exfoliated hybrids whereas there exists an anisotropically mechanical property for the cured matrix of the intercalated hybrids.