Curable resins and articles made therefrom

Abstract

Optical devices of excellent optical and physical properties produced from cured resins are disclosed. The resins and/or the cured hybrid polymer material made with the resins are characterized by a high level of cycloaliphatic-containing groups. Specific additives that can participate in crosslinking the curable polysiloxane provide additional physical property advantages.

1 . A method of providing fracture toughness and durability to a photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprising curing a photocurable and/or thermally curable resin with an effective amount of at least two additives selected from the group consisting of hydroxyoxetanes, diglycidyl ethers, alcohols and divinyl ethers. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least two additives comprise hydroxyoxetane and a glycidyl ether, wherein said curing produces a crosslinked solid hybrid polymer material. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises monomers selected form the group consisting of (meth)acrylate monomers, polysiloxane monomers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein at least 50% of said monomers include at least one cycloaliphatic group. 
     
     
         5 . A photocurable and/or thermally curable resin having a refractive index of greater than 1.48 and optical dispersion, as measured by an Abbe number, of greater than 45. 
     
     
         6 . The photocurable and/or thermally curable resin of  claim 5 , wherein the refractive index of said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin is greater than 1.49 and the Abbe number is greater than 53. 
     
     
         7 . The photocurable and/or thermally curable resin of  claim 5 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises monomers selected form the group consisting of (meth)acrylate monomers, polysiloxane monomers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The photocurable and/or thermally curable resin of  claim 7 , wherein at least 50% of said monomers include at least one cycloaliphatic group. 
     
     
         9 . The photocurable and/or thermally curable resin of  claim 7 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises a (meth)acrylate monomer selected from the group consisting of adamantylacrylate, adamantylmethacrylate, tricyclo[5.2.1.0]decane dimethanol diacrylate, tricyclo[5.2.1.0]decane dimethanol dimethacrylate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The photocurable and/or thermally curable resin of  claim 8 , wherein said photocurable and/or thermally curable resin comprises at least two additives selected from the group consisting of hydroxyoxetanes, diglycidyl ethers, alcohols and divinyl ethers. 
     
     
         11 . The photocurable and/or thermally curable resin of  claim 10 , wherein said at least two additives comprise hydroxyoxetane and a glycidyl ether. 
     
     
         12 . A crosslinked solid hybrid polymer material produced by curing a mixture of PT curable resin and at least two additives selected from the group consisting of hydroxyoxetanes, diglycidyl ethers, alcohols and divinyl ethers. 
     
     
         13 . The crosslinked solid hybrid polymer material of  claim 12 , wherein said at least two additives are hydroxyoxetane and a glycidyl ether. 
     
     
         14 . The crosslinked solid hybrid polymer material of  claim 12 , having a refractive index of greater than 1.48, an Abbe number of greater than 45, a linear cure shrinkage of less than 3%, and high fracture toughness. 
     
     
         15 . The crosslinked solid hybrid polymer material of  claim 12 , having a refractive index greater than 1.49, an Abbe number greater than 53, linear cure shrinkage of less than 2%, and high fracture toughness.