Effect of Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) on Melting Gel Behavior

To increase the connectivity of the molecular structure but not to prevent softening, small amounts of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were added to phenyl-substituted melting gels. The limit of the additions was determined when the melting gel lost its ability to soften. A comparison was made between TEOS diluted with ethanol, TEOS diluted with methanol, and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) diluted with methanol. The additions had slight effects on the glass transition behavior, the gelling time and the indentation hardness. The role of the TEOS was both a form of dilution and a cross-linking promoter.