Zirconium tungstate reinforced cyanate ester composites with enhanced dimensional stability

Zirconium tungstate (ZrW2O8) is a unique ceramic material characterized by isotropic negative thermal expansion behavior over a wide temperature range. Incorporation of ZrW2O8 is expected to improve the dimensional stability of polymers by reducing the overall coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). In this work, the thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of a bisphenol E cyanate ester reinforced with various loadings of ZrW2O8 are examined. Thermomechanical analysis indicates that the incorporation of ZrW2O8 results in a decrease in CTE at temperatures above and below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the neat resin. The dynamic storage moduli of the composites reinforced with ZrW2O8 are found to increase with increasing filler loading. Furthermore, the various phase behaviors exhibited by ZrW2O8 are also examined by differential scanning calorimetry measurements.