Silyl-modified polymers (SMP; also ''silane-modified polymers'', ''modified-silane polymers'', ''MS polymers'', ''silane-terminated polymers'', etc.) are

polymer A polymer (; Greek ''poly-'', "many" + '' -mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic and ...

s terminating with a

silyl Silylation is the introduction of one or more (usually) substituted silyl groups (R3Si) to a molecule. The process is the basis of organosilicon chemistry. Of organic compounds Alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines, thiols, and phosphates can be sil ...

group. SMPs are the main components in

solvent A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...

-free and

isocyanate In organic chemistry, isocyanate is the functional group with the formula . Organic compounds that contain an isocyanate group are referred to as isocyanates. An organic compound with two isocyanate groups is known as a diisocyanate. Diisocyan ...

-free sealant and adhesive products.Jeffrey D. Umpleby "Polymer composition
U.S. patent 4574133
1986. Typically the sealant products manufactured with silyl-modified polymers have good adhesion on a wide range of substrate materials, and have good temperature and UV resistance. MS polymers consist of a polyether backbone with dimethoxy-silyl or trimethoxy-silyl ends, with trimethoxy-silyl groups being more reactive. Backbones can be linear with single or double ends, or branched for an increased amount of cross linking. Precursors can also be varied in the molecular weight and reactive silyl group concentration, resulting in variable cure times, strength, density, and hardness.

Curing process

The products cure from a liquid or gel state to a solid. Curing entails crosslinking by the hydrolysis of

silyl ether Silyl ethers are a group of chemical compounds which contain a silicon atom covalently bonded to an alkoxy group. The general structure is R1R2R3Si−O−R4 where R4 is an alkyl group or an aryl group. Silyl ethers are usually used as protectin ...

s: : 2 RSi(OCH₃)₂R' + H₂O → Si(OCH₃)R'sub>2O + 2 CH₃OH In a hydrolysis reaction, a

catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

and

moisture Moisture is the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts. Small amounts of water may be found, for example, in the air (humidity), in foods, and in some commercial products. Moisture also refers to the amount of water vapo ...

is required to form an intermediate silanol, which then reacts to form

siloxane A siloxane is a functional group in organosilicon chemistry with the Si−O−Si linkage. The parent siloxanes include the oligomeric and polymeric hydrides with the formulae H(OSiH2)''n''OH and (OSiH2)n. Siloxanes also include branched compound ...

linkages in a condensation process.

References

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