Joseph Lichtenhan
Vice President
Hybrid Plastics Inc
Dr. Lichtenhan obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California Irvine in 1991, and his BS in Chemistry from Kansas State University in 1986. He has focussed the majority of his industrial career on the development of preceramic and inorganic-organic polymers and additives.
Inorganic-Organic Silsesquioxane Additives for Coatings
Inorganic-organic silsesquioxanes provide a simple-to-use chemical tool kit that requires only additive loading levels to improve traditional formulations. Silsesquioxanes are unique as additives because they are compositionally intermediate between silicones and silica. Specifically, cage-shaped silsesquioxanes range in diameter from 1.5 - 5.0 nm, and they consequently provide a tremendous amount of surface area and volume control when incorporated into formulations. The surface area and volume of these additives can also be utilized to compatibilize organic resins with inorganic fillers and to improve dispersion and crosslink conversion. Typically silsesquioxane additives impart adhesion, hardness and scratch resistance properties in coatings while retaining optical clarity. The fundamental attributes of acrylic-epoxy silsesquioxane additives will be discussed in light of the material science models that explain the observed effects.