Mechanical and dielectric properties of a new polymer blend composed of 1,2-bis(vinylphenyl)ethane and thermosetting poly(phenylene ether) copolymer obtained from 2,6-dimethylphenol and 2-allyl-6-methylphenol

A novel low-dielectric-loss thermosetting material was developed by blending poly(2-allyl-6-methylphenol -co-2.6-dimethylphenol) (Allyl-PPE) with 1,2-bis(vinylphenyl)ethane (BVPE). BVPE could be used effectively as a crosslinking agent for Allyl-PPE, decreasing the cured temperature to 250 degrees C or lower. The cured products exhibited better thermal and thermomechanical properties than those of non-functionalized-PPE/BVPE blends because of the homogeneity of the cured products. The phases-separated morphologies with small domain sizes less than 10 nm could be observed by employing energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy. The effect of the composition of the blends on the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss were also evaluated.