Correlation between mechanical damping and interphase content in interpenetrating polymer networks

Recently, some interpenetrating polymer networks with good mechanical damping properties have been synthesized. However, the effect of morphology on this property has not yet been clearly elucidated. Herein, two polystyrene-polyurethane interpenetrating polymer networks, which were grafted using TMI [benzene-1-(1-isocyanato-1-methyl ethyl)-3-(1-methylenyl)] and HEMA (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), respectively, have been investigated, as model samples, by modulated-temperature differential scanning calorimetry and! by dynamical mechanical thermal analysis. The results indicate that there is a correlation between mechanical damping and both interphase content and the distribution of composition in the interphase region. The findings should provide valuable information for the design of future damping materials. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.