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 (T_g) 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.