Correlations between precursor molecular weight and dynamic mechanical properties of polyborosiloxane (PBS)

It is possible to tailor the dynamic response of polyborosiloxanes (PBS) based on picking the right molecular weight of a precursor. The molecular weight of hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) defines the shear-stiffening performance of PBS due to straightforward condensation reaction between hydroxy end groups of PDMS and boric acid. Introduced borono groups behave as stickers, hence, are prone to supramolecular interactions. New correlations are discovered for five PBS synthesized from hydroxy-terminated PDMS with different molecular weights. Si─O─B infrared band intensities for all PBS follow the same trend with molecular weight as the number of PDMS hydroxy groups which confirms the full completion of the reaction. After synthesis, the molecular weight of PBSs remained almost the same, which indicates the absence of significant chain scissoring, polymerization, or crosslinking. During the rheological analysis, it is found that crossover point modulus follows the same trend as the number of PDMS hydroxy groups and Si─O─B band intensities. PBS demonstrates a linear increase in peak forces with molecular weight during the drop weight impact test. The low molecular weight of a precursor, hence, a high number of stickers is a primary requirement for effective protection against low-velocity impact