CRYSTALLINITY BEHAVIOUR OF POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE AND POLYCAPROLACTONE BASED BLOCK COPOLYMERS.

The paper presents the synthesis and characterization of star block copolymers based on polydimethylsiloxane and polycaprolactone. These copolymers were prepared by the ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone, using a single end type di-hydroxyalkyl terminated siloxane oligomer as macromonomer and stannous octoate as catalyst. Their chemical structures and molecular weights were characterized by 1H-NMR, FTIR and SEC, and thermal properties were determined by DSC. DSC analyses were also conducted to estimate the crystallinity degree of the PCL and PDMS blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]