Study of polyorganocarbosilanes based on calculation of the volume increments

Abstract

Characteristic parameters of some polyorganocarbosilanes have been determined and compared by means of the calculation of volume increments, and also by experimental methods based on X-ray structural analysis, thermomechanical analysis and DSC. It is shown that the volume increments method may be used to calculate the packing coefficients, melting points, T_g and the T_g/T_melt ratios for these polymers. The results of experimental determinations of the studied parameters show that the calculations are highly accurate, and that the properties of the polymers may be predicted from their structural formulae.