Toughening of epoxy resins with aromatic polyesters

Polyesters, prepared by direct polycondensation from bisphenol A and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids [adipic acid (AD), suberic acid, sebacic acid (SE), and dodecanedioic acid], were used to improve the toughness of the diglycidyl ether of the bisphenol A/diaminodiphenyl methane epoxy system. Polyesters had the number average molecular weight (M_n) ranging from 4300 to 19,200 g/mole. The epoxy systems modified with the AD system (M_n = 6400 g/mole) and the SE system (M_n = 10,200 g/mole) showed phase separated structures with discrete domains of 0.2 μm, but other systems showed smooth fracture surfaces when observed by scanning electron microscopy. The modified epoxy systems except for the AD system and SE system showed two tan δ peaks corresponding to the α and β transitions of the epoxy resin. The modified epoxy systems showed maximum values of K_1c at around 10 wt % of polyester and maximum flexural properties at 5 wt % of polyester. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 2464–2473, 2000