1. Recycled polyvinyl butyral (PVB) was chemically modified by melt mixing with a vinyl trimethoxysilane (VTMS) silanation reagent, which reacted with the hydroxyls present in the PVB structure to generate crosslinked bonds between the chains.
2. This chemical modification improved the solvent resistance of the polymer without significantly impairing its mechanical properties.
3. Different mixing times and varying static and dynamic crosslink ratios resulted in different molecular structures, which affected the decomposition of PVB.
The article is generally reliable and trustworthy as it provides evidence for its claims through experiments such as Soxhlet extraction, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The authors also provide detailed descriptions of their methods and results, making it easy to follow their research process. Furthermore, they cite relevant literature to support their findings.
However, there are some potential biases that should be noted. For example, the authors do not discuss any possible risks associated with using recycled PVB or any potential environmental impacts of using VTMS silanation reagents. Additionally, they do not explore any counterarguments or alternative solutions to their proposed method for improving solvent resistance in PVB. Finally, while they cite relevant literature to support their findings, they do not provide an exhaustive list of all related studies that could have been used to further strengthen their argument.