Julio Borrajo

Bio: Julio Borrajo is an academic researcher from National Scientific and Technical Research Council. The author has contributed to research in topics: Polymerization & Miscibility. The author has an hindex of 22, co-authored 64 publications receiving 1505 citations.

Nanostructured epoxies based on the self-assembly of block copolymers: a new miscible block that can be tailored to different epoxy formulations

Abstract: Nanostructured thermosets may be obtained by self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers in a reactive solvent and fixation of the morphologies by the cross-linking reaction. Nanostructuration requires the presence of a bock that remains miscible in the polymer during polymerization. The selection of the miscible block depends on the particular system and in some cases (e.g., for epoxy-amine network based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, and 4,4'- diaminodiphenylsulfone) it is very difficult to find such a block. In this manuscript it is shown that random copolymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) containing different molar fractions of DMA, can be used as a miscible block for the nanostructuration of epoxies. The miscibility of the random copolymer during formation of the epoxy network was first analyzed determining cloud-point conversions as a function of the molar fraction of DMA in the copolymer. A thermodynamic model of the phase separation was performed using the Flory-Huggins model and taking the polydispersities of both polymers into account. A single expression of the interaction parameter based on the theory of random copolymers provided a reasonable fitting of the experimental cloud-point curves. The significant increase in the miscibility produced by using small DMA molar fractions in the copolymer was explained by the high negative value of the binary interaction energy between DMA and the epoxy-amine solvent, associated to the positive value of the interaction energy between DMA and MMA units. Block copolymers with poly(n-butyl acrylate) as the immiscible block and the random copolymer P(MMA-co-DMA) as the miscible block were used for the nanostructuration of epoxy networks. The necessary molar fraction of DMA in the miscible block to stabilize a dispersion of nanosize domains depended on the fraction of the immiscible block.

Thermodynamic analysis of the phase separation in polyetherimide-modified epoxies

Abstract: The miscibility of polyetherimides (PEIs) with epoxy monomers based on diglycidylether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA), and with reactive mixtures based on stoichiometric amounts of DGEBA and an aromatic diamine (DA) {either 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS) or 4,4′-methylenebis[3-chloro 2,6-diethylaniline] (MCDEA)}; was experimentally studied. Cloud-point curves (temperature vs. composition) are reported for PEI-DGEBA and PEI-DGEBA-DA initial mixtures. Cloud-point conversions are reported for the reactive mixtures, for various PEI amounts and polycondensation temperatures. A thermodynamic model based on the Flory-Huggins-Staverman approach, taking polydispersity of both components into account, was used to analyze the experimental information. A single relationship between the interaction parameter and temperature, χ(T), could fit experimental results of mixtures of two commercial PEIs with DGEBA. The addition of DDS led to a decrease in miscibility whereas MCDEA improved the initial miscibility. In both cases, the interaction parameter decreased with conversion, meaning that PEI was more compatible with oligomeric species than with the mixture of starting monomers. The phase separation process in initially miscible rubber- or thermoplastic-modified thermosetting polymers is the result of two factors: increase in the average molar size of the thermosetting oligomer (main driving force favoring demixing), and variation of the interaction parameter with conversion, which may act to increase or decrease the cloud-point conversion determined by the first factor. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recent Advances and Developments in Composite Dental Restorative Materials

Abstract: Composite dental restorations represent a unique class of biomaterials with severe restrictions on biocompatibility, curing behavior, esthetics, and ultimate material properties. These materials are presently limited by shrinkage and polymerization-induced shrinkage stress, limited toughness, the presence of unreacted monomer that remains following the polymerization, and several other factors. Fortunately, these materials have been the focus of a great deal of research in recent years with the goal of improving restoration performance by changing the initiation system, monomers, and fillers and their coupling agents, and by developing novel polymerization strategies. Here, we review the general characteristics of the polymerization reaction and recent approaches that have been taken to improve composite restorative performance.