High-Performance POSS-Modified Polymeric Composites

Epoxies and/or cyanate esters that incorporate polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) compounds are undergoing development at Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). These formulations are expected to be useful as high-performance matrix resins for advanced, lightweight fiber/matrix composite materials for diverse applications that could include spacecraft structures, automotive structures, prosthetics, sporting goods, and general consumer goods. In comparison with the corresponding unmodified matrix resins and composite materials made with those resins, the POSS-modified resins and composite materials are expected to exhibit lower mass densities, greater stiffness, and capabilities to withstand higher temperatures and higher levels of ionizing radiation.