Data for: The effect of polymer concentration on thermophysical, structural and mechanical properties of siloxane-infiltrated silica ceramics
Description
Silica ceramics with opened porosity of 10% was infiltrated with the methyl-phenyl-spirocyclosiloxanol (MPS) acetone solution. Various MPS concentrations in the range of 0.1 – 100% were utilized. The infiltration followed by the polyfunctional condensation to obtain ceramics filled with various volume fractions of the polymethyl-phenyl-spirocyclosiloxane (PMPS). Water absorption capacity, bending strength, dilatometric thermal expansion, optical and structural properties of the obtained materials were analyzed. Water absorption capacity was shown to be less than 0.15% in the range of 1 – 100% MPS fraction in the initial solution. Strength showed logarithmic growth in the range of 45 – 63 MPa with MPS fraction increase. Thermal expansion in comparison to the initial ceramics demonstrated several features that can be correlated to phase transitions and thermal oxidative breakdown of the polymer. Structural properties were analyzed by mercury and gas porometry and spectral scattering technique. Mean size of pores that stay not filled after the infiltration was shown to rise with polymer volume fraction increasing. The obtained results indicate that relatively low fraction of about 1% of the MPS in the initial solution allows one to obtain silica ceramics with low water absorption capacity and sufficient strength. This can be attributed to the polymer tendency to fill predominantly pore throats.