HYBRID INORGANIC-ORGANIC INTERPENETRATING POLYMER NETWORKS BASED ON ZEOLITE 13X AND POLYSTYRENE

A hybrid inorganic/organic interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of a three-dimensional network structure zeolite crystal (13X, powder) and crosslinked or linear polystyrene (PS) was prepared and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), solid-state C-13-NMR, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The size and shape of the crystalline zeolite particles were revealed on SEM micrographs in both the pure zeolite and the IPNs. Solubility tests and the results of DSC with solid-state C-13-NMR confirm that some organic PS chains are incorporated within the internal three-dimensional channels of the zeolite particles. We speculate that the internal PS chains may adopt an extended ''one-dimensional'' conformation and exhibit no bulk polymer glass transition. These novel hybrid inorganic/organic IPNs are a new kind of IPN structure. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.