Mechanical and thermal properties of epoxy resins with reversible crosslinks

The tensile properties: Young's modulus, ultimate tensile strength, ultimate elongation, the glass transition temperature, and the dynamic mechanical properties (dynamic shear modulus (G'), loss tangent (Tan δ)), of three epoxy resins (Epon 828, Epon 836, Epon HPT 1071) cured with the disulfide-containing crosslinking agent—4.4-dithiodianilme (DTDA) have been characterized. The results show that DTDA is a satisfactory crosslinking agent for the epoxide resins that have been studied as compared to the well-known curing agent methylene dianiline (MDA). There are no significant differences between the properties of Epon 828 cured with DTDA at stoichiometric ratio (2:1) and Epon 828 cured with DTDA at small amine excess ratio (1.75:1). The glass transition temperature of the cured tetrafunctional epoxy resin Epon HPT 1971 (235°C) is significantly higher than that of difunctional epoxy resins such as Epon 828 (T_g–175°C), but the product is too brittle to be used without plasticizer.     

The synergistic effect of dicyandiamide and resorcinol in the curing of epoxy resins

The synergistic effect of dicyandiamide (Dicy) and phenolic substances was studied, with resorcinol as a model compound. It was found that when Dicy and resorcinol are used jointly, the curing temperature of epoxy resin can be significantly lowered. FTIR and DSC data were used to illustrate the mechanism of the synergism. The addition of the phenolic hydroxyl group to epoxide was facilitated by Dicy, which favors the formation of phenoxy anions. The reaction of Dicy with epoxide was facilitated by resorcinol, which can exert “electrophilic assistance” for the addition of the amino group to epoxide. The presence of resorcinol also favors the addition of the hydroxyl group to the cyano group. The thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy resins cured with Dicy/resorcinol or Dicy/phloroglucinol were studied. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1869–1874, 2003     

Dynamic mechanical properties and adhesive strengths of epoxy resins modified with liquid rubber. I. Modification with ATBN

The dynamic mechanical properties and the adhesive strengths of Epikote 828 and Epikote 828-ATBN blend systems were investigated. The ATBN blend systems were proved to be completely incompatible with the dynamic mechanical measurement and also fitted well with Takayanagi's model which was designed for completely incompatible two-phase systems. The epoxy resin had a nonreacted part when cured at room temperature. The blending of ATBN reduced the nonreacted part of the epoxy resin, and made contributions to the adhesive strengths. In the case of tensile test of crosslap specimens using aluminium as adherends, the adhesive strengths of ATBN blend systems were almost 1.5-fold of those of epoxy resin without blending of ATBN. As for wood adherends, the maximum of the adhesive strengths was found at 60°C for epoxy resin without blending of ATBN, and at 0°C for ATBN blend systems. The facts meant that there were mutual interactions between the adhesive strengths and the viscoelastic behavior of the adhesive polymers in the two-phase systems as observed in completely miscible polymer blends. There was not pronounced distinction between epoxy resins without blending of ATBN and ATBN blend system, as to the shear adhesive strengths.     

Formation of 4,4′-thiodiphenol-modified epoxy resins monitored by GPC and MALDI–TOF mass spectrometer

Reaction intermediates in the reaction of 4,4′-thiodiphenol (TDP) and Epikote 828 (E 828) for the formation of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy copolymers (ETP) were determined by using a combination of two methods, viz. gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight (MALDI–TOF) spectrometer. This combination provides the measurement of true molecular weight and distribution, which in turn, enables the structural identification of intermediates and determination of their respective contents. The content of ideal component, the E 828-(TDP-E 828)_n, n = 1 in ETP copolymer, was found to be 2.3, 13.0, and 34.4% for ratios of 1/1, 1/2, and 1/3 of TDP and E 828, respectively. The ETP epoxy copolymers also exhibited thermal improvement over E 828 and other DGEBA resins of the E 1000 series, as indicated by their higher glass transition temperature (T_g) in differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and better thermostability in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68: 1621–1631, 1998     

Synthesis and properties of copolymer epoxy resins prepared from copolymerization of bisphenol A,epichlorohydrin, and liquefied Dendrocalamus latiflorus

Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro (ma bamboo) was liquefied in phenol and polyhydric alcohol (polyethylene glycol/glycerol cosolvent) with H₂SO₄ as catalyst. Liquefied bamboos reacted with bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin were then employed to prepare copolymer epoxy resins. The curing property and thermal property of copolymer epoxy resins were investigated. The results showed that copolymer epoxy resins could cure at room temperature after the hardener was added, and its curing process was an exothermic reaction. Comparison showed that copolymer epoxy resins prepared with phenol‐liquefied bamboo as raw material had higher heat released than those prepared with polyhydric alcohol‐liquefied bamboo during curing. The DSC analysis showed that heat treatment could enhance the crosslinking of copolymer epoxy resins cured at room temperature. However, resins prepared with polyhydric alcohol‐liquefied bamboo had a lower glass transition temperature. The TGA analysis showed that resins prepared with phenol‐liquefied bamboo had better thermal stability. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Cure kinetics of epoxy resins and aromatic diamines

An analysis of the cure kinetics of several different formulations composed of bifunctional epoxy resins and aromatic diamines was performed. A series of isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) runs (at higher temperature) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) runs (at lower temperature) provided information about the kinetics of cure in the temperature range 18–160°C. All kinetic parameters of the curing reaction, including the reaction rate order, activation energy, and frequency factor were calculated and reported. Dynamic and isothermal DSC yielded different results. An explanation was offered in terms of different curing mechanisms which prevail under different curing conditions. A mechanism scheme was proposed to account for various possible reactions during cure.     

Multifunctional formaldehyde resins as curing agent for epoxy resins

Formaldehyde resins (FR) at 1/1/2 molar ratios of monomers (Cl‐phenol/amino monomers/p‐formaldehyde) were synthesized under acid catalysis. The obtained resins were characterized using elemental analysis, FTIR and RMN spectroscopic methods, being used as crosslinking agents for epoxy resin formulations. The curing of epoxy resins with FR were investigated. The glass transition temperature (T_g) and decomposition behavior of crosslinked resins were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric (TGA) techniques. All DSC scans show two exothermic peaks, which implied the occurrence of cure reactions between epoxy ring and amine or carboxylic protons, in function of chemical structures of FR. The crosslinked products showed good thermal properties, high glass transitions, and low water absorption. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis and characterization of diphenylsilanediol modified epoxy resin and curing agent

A series of diphenylsilanediol modified epoxy resins and novel curing agents were synthesized. The modified epoxy resins were cured with regular curing agent diethylenetriamine (DETA); the curing agents were applied to cure unmodified diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin (DGEBA). The heat resistance, mechanical property, and toughness of all the curing products were investigated. The results showed that the application of modified resin and newly synthesized curing agents leads to curing products with lower thermal decomposition rate and only slightly decreased glass transition temperature (T_g), as well as improved tensile modulus and tensile strength. In particular, products cured with newly synthesized curing agents showed higher corresponding temperature to the maximum thermal decomposition rate, comparing with products of DGEBA cured by DETA. Scanning electron microscopy micro images proved that a ductile fracture happened on the cross sections of curing products obtained from modified epoxy resins and newly synthesized curing agents, indicating an effective toughening effect of silicon–oxygen bond.     

Comparison of the curing kinetic behavior for two epoxy resin systems containing EPIKOTE 828–EPIKURE 3090 and DURATEK KLM 606A–DURATEK KLM 606B

The aim of the study is to determine the optimum cure temperatures and kinetics for two different epoxy resin systems without using solvent. Two resin systems consist of EPIKOTE 828® epoxy resin–EPIKURE® 3090 polyamidoamine curing agent and DURATEK® KLM 606A epoxy resin–DURATEK® KLM 606B polyamide curing agent. The ratio of resin to curing agent was kept as 1:1 for both the systems. Curing temperatures of both the systems were determined and kinetic parameters were calculated with respect to the experimental results following nth‐order kinetics. Then, a series of isothermal temperatures was applied to the resin systems in order to assess the cure process in terms of conversion, time, and temperature by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The test results of both systems show that the rate of degree of cure for EPIKOTE 828® epoxy resin–EPIKURE® 3090 polyamidoamine curing agent system is approximately 10 times higher than that of DURATEK® KLM 606A epoxy resin–DURATEK® KLM 606B polyamide curing agent system at 230°C. POLYM. COMPOS., 28:762–770, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Comparison of microwave and thermal cure of epoxy–anhydride resins: Mechanical properties and dynamic characteristics

The objective of this work was to compare the mechanical properties of epoxy resins cured by thermal heating and microwave heating. Epoxy–anhydride (100:80) resins were cured in a domestic microwave oven and in a thermal oven. The hardening agents included methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride and methyl hexahydrophthalic anhydride. Three types of accelerators were employed. Thermal curing was performed at 150°C for 20 and 14 min for resins containing 1 and 4% accelerator, respectively. Microwave curing was carried out at a low power (207 or 276 W) for 10, 14, and 20 min. All cured resins were investigated with respect to their tensile properties, notched Izod impact resistance, and flexural properties (three‐point bending) according to ASTM standards. The tan δ and activation energy values were investigated with dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and the extent of conversion was determined with differential scanning calorimetry. The differences in the mechanical properties of the thermally cured and microwave‐cured samples depended on the resin formulation and properties. Equivalent or better mechanical properties were obtained by microwave curing, in comparison with those obtained by thermal curing. Microwave curing also provided a shorter cure time and an equivalent degree of conversion. The glass‐transition temperatures (tan δ) of the thermally and microwave‐cured resins were comparable, and their activation energies were in the range of 327–521 kJ/mol. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1442–1461, 2005     

One‐pot curing system of epoxy resin imines initiated with water

The curing and adhesive properties of one‐component epoxy resins containing Epikote 828 and diimines, derived from N,N′‐di(1‐ethylpropylidene)‐m‐xylylenediamine, N,N′‐di(1‐ethylpropylidene)‐1,3‐diaminomethylcyclohexane (2), and N,N′‐di(1,3‐dimethylbutylidene)‐m‐xylylenediamine, which were used as water‐initiated hardeners, were examined. Diethyl ketone‐based imines with a lower electron density on the C?N carbon were efficiently hydrolyzed and showed curing activity. 2, a novel diethyl ketone‐based diimine, served as an efficient latent hardener of the epoxy resin. A paste of the epoxy resin with 2 showed good storage stability at room temperature and good adhesive properties. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 878–882, 2003     

双酚F环硫-环氧树脂固化物的性能研究

以甲基六氢邻苯二甲酸酐(MeHHPA)为固化剂,N．N-二甲基苄胺为固化促进剂．在一定的固化条件下,对双酚F环硫-环氧树脂进行固化实验,探讨了固化机理。并对双酚F环硫-环氧树脂固化物的吸水性、拉伸强度、剥离强度和玻璃化温度进行分析测试,结果表明,与双酚F环氧树脂相比,相应的双酚F环硫-环氧树脂具有更高的拉伸强度、剥离强度和玻璃化温度以及较低的吸水性。     

Glass Fiber Reinforced Composites and Thermal Study of Flame Retardant Epoxy Resin Systems Using Anhydride Curing Agents

Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) curing kinetics of the epoxy systems composed of conventional, tetrafunctional, and phosphorylated epoxy resins were investigated using different anhydrides as curing agents and triethylamine as curing catalyst. The dynamic scans were analyzed to estimate the activation energy and the order of reaction for the curing process using some empirical relations. The thermal stability of the cured epoxy resins was studied by thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmosphere at a heating rate of 10°C/min. Glass fiber reinforced composites were fabricated and evaluated for their limiting oxygen index, mechanical properties, dielectric properties, and chemical resistance. The incorporation of an epoxy fortifier showed significant improvement in mechanical properties.     

Effect of styrene on properties of vinyl ester resins,I

The paper describes the effect of styrene on the properties of bis(methacryloxy) derivatives of epoxy resins (vinyl ester resins). The styrene concentration in the resin was systematically varied between 20–60 wt.-%. The curing characteristics of vinyl ester resins changed only marginally on dilution with styrene. Dilution with styrene resulted in a decrease in tensile modulus and increase in elongation of neat resin castings and glass fibre reinforced laminates. The glass transition temperature of laminates was determined by dynamic mechanical analysis and was found to decrease with increasing styrene content.     

Use of eco‐friendly epoxy resins from renewable resources as potential substitutes of petrochemical epoxy resins for ambient cured composites with flax reinforcements

In the last years, some high renewable content epoxy resins, derived from vegetable oils, have been developed at industrial level and are now commercially available; these can compete with petroleum‐based resins as thermoset matrices for composite materials. Nevertheless, due to the relatively high cost in comparison to petroleum‐based resins, their use is still restricted to applications with relatively low volume consumption such as model making, tuning components, nautical parts, special effects, outdoor sculptures, etc. in which, the use of composite laminates with carbon, aramid and, mainly, glass fibers is generalized by using hand layup and vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) techniques due to low manufacturing costs and easy implementation. In this work, we study the behavior of two high renewable content epoxy resins derived from vegetable oils as potential substitutes of petroleum‐based epoxies in composite laminates with flax reinforcements by using the VARTM technique. The curing behavior of the different epoxy resins is compared in terms of the gel point and exothermicity profile by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition, overall performance of flax‐epoxy composites is compared with standardized mechanical (tensile, flexural and impact) and thermal (Vicat softening temperature, heat deflection temperature, thermo‐mechanical analysis) tests. The curing DSC profiles of the two eco‐friendly epoxy resins are similar to a conventional epoxy resin. They can be easily handled and processed by conventional VARTM process thus leading to composite laminates with flax with balanced mechanical and thermal properties, similar or even higher to a multipurpose epoxy resin. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

联苯酚醛环氧树脂固化动力学及热性能研究

以4,4'-二氨基二苯砜(DDS)为固化剂,采用非等温示差扫描量热法(DSC)研究了联苯酚醛环氧树脂(BPNE)的固化动力学。通过外推法确定了体系的固化工艺。采用Kissinger、Ozawa法计算出固化体系的表观活化能,根据Crane理论计算得到该体系的固化反应级数。采用DSC,热重分析(TGA)研究了固化物的耐热性。结果表明:BPNE的固化工艺为160℃/2h+200℃/2h+230℃/2h;固化反应的活化能约为61.86kJ/mol,指前因子为5.27×105min-1,反应级数为1.1;玻璃化转变温度(Tg)为167℃,其10%热失重温度为398.1℃,800℃残炭率为29.37%,与双酚A环氧树脂/DDS固化物相比,分别提高了22℃,11.71%。     

Cure kinetics of a glass/epoxy prepreg by dynamic differential scanning calorimetry

Dicyandiamide (DICY)‐cured epoxy resins are important materials for structural adhesives and matrix resins for fiber‐reinforced prepregs. Dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with heating rates of 2.5, 5, 10, and 15°C/min was used to study the curing behavior of the epoxy prepreg Hexply 1454 system, which consisted of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, DICY, and Urone reinforced by glass fibers. The curing kinetic parameters were determined with three different methods and compared. These were the Kissinger, Ozawa, and Borchardt–Daniels kinetic approaches. The lowest activation energy (76.8 kJ/mol) was obtained with the Kissinger method, whereas the highest value (87.9 kJ/mol) was obtained with the Borchardt–Daniels approach. The average pre‐exponential factor varied from 0.0947 × 10⁹ to 2.60 × 10⁹ s⁻¹. The orders of the cure reaction changed little with the heating rate, so the effect of the heating rate on the reaction order was not significant. It was interesting that the overall reaction order obtained from all three methods was nearly constant (≅2.4). There was good agreement between all of the methods with the experimental data. However, the best agreement with the experimental data was seen with the Ozawa kinetic parameters, and the most deviation was seen with the Borchardt kinetic parameters. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

短切原丝毡用玻璃纤维增强型浸润剂的研究

本文主要叙述了短切原丝毡 (简称短切毡 )用玻璃纤维增强型浸润剂的试验研究过程 ,重点讲述了短切毡用原丝必须具备的性能 ,通过实验最终得出了同时满足拉丝工艺、烘干工艺和短切毡成毡工艺的玻纤增强型浸润剂。该浸润剂赋予原丝良好的集束性、切割性、分散性和快速的浸透性 ,并提出满足这些性能原丝的硬挺度必须适中 ,这样的原丝才能生产出优质的短切毡     

RTM制备玻璃纤维增强环氧树脂复合材料的力学性能分析

以环氧树脂为基体,短切玻璃纤维和玻璃纤维布为增强材料,通过RTM工艺制备了玻璃纤维增强环氧树脂(GF/EP)复合材料,并研究了RTM工艺制备玻璃纤维布增强环氧树脂(L-GF/EP)和短切玻璃纤维增强环氧树脂(S-GF/EP)复合材料的拉伸和弯曲性能,分析了开孔对两种复合材料拉伸性能的影响。结果表明:在拉伸过程中,开孔试样因孔边产生的应力集中,导致其拉伸强度与无孔试样相比下降了30%左右;玻纤铺层类型的不同对复合材料的力学性能具有显著影响;L-GF/EP复合材料内部结构完整,在载荷作用下,复合材料的弯曲断裂呈现一定的假塑性断裂模式,达到弯曲极限挠度值后,出现一定程度的回弹现象,其力学性能优于S-GF/EP复合材料。     

Epoxy resins toughened by poly(propylene carbonate)

Poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) was used as a toughening agent for improving the brittleness of cured epoxy resins (EP). Methyl tetrahydrophthatic anhydride (MTHPA) was used as a curing agent. The activation energies for the reactions of PPC/MTHPA and EP/MTHPA measured by FTIR were 115.8 and 66.5 kJ/mol, respectively, while for the composite system of PPC/EP/MTHPA, the activation energy obtained from DSC was 52.9 kJ/mol. Gel contents, DMA, and DSC displayed that the cured resins of PPC/EP/MTHPA were phase-separation crosslinking systems and most of PPC could react with MTHPA or the epoxy group. The toughness of cured resins was reinforced by the addition of PPC. The optimum mechanical properties and toughness for cured resins of PPC/EP/MTHPA corresponded to the system containing 20 phr PPC, which achieved a 33% increase in tensile strength and a 45% increase in the fracture toughness at no expense of the elongation of cured resins. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 2457–2465, 1997