Enhancement of POM thermooxidation resistance through POSS nanoparticles

Thermooxidative degradation at and beyond processing temperatures has been carried out on polyoxymethylene (POM) enhanced with four different types of POSS, being Glycidyl, GlycidylIsobutyl, Aminopropylisobutyl, and Poly(ethylene glycol). The quantification of such degradation was carried out through FTIR spectrography, color spectrophotometry, and thermogravimetric analysis methods. The results showed that the presence of POSS in the blend improves dramatically the thermal stability of the POM matrix. The best performance was found with Aminopropylisobutyl, whereby the onset of degradation temperature increased by more than 50°C. Said improvement is referred to the conditions where the nanocomposite developed only 2% of carbonyl yield and 8% of yellowing of the 100% deterioration suffered by the standard POM copolymer.