Degradable and chemically recyclable epoxy resins containing acetal linkages: Synthesis,properties, and application for carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics

Four sorts of epoxy resins containing degradable acetal linkages were synthesized by the reaction of bisphenol A (BA) or cresol novolak (CN) resin with vinyl ethers containing a glycidyl group [4‐vinlyoxybutyl glycidyl ether (VBGE) and cyclohexane dimethanol vinyl glycidyl ether (CHDMVG)] and cured with known typical amine‐curing agents. The thermal and mechanical properties of the cured resins were investigated. Among the four cured epoxy resins, the CN‐CHDMVG resin (derived from CN and CHDMVE) exhibited relatively high glass transition temperature (T_g = ca. 110 °C). The treatment of these cured epoxy resins with aqueous HCl in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature for 12 h generated BA and CN as degradation main products in high yield. Carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics (CFRPs) were prepared by heating the laminated prepreg sheets with BA‐CHDMVG (derived from BA and CHDMVE) and CN‐CHDMVG, in which strands of carbon fibers are impregnated with the epoxy resins containing conventional curing agents and curing accelerators. The obtained CFRPs showed good appearance and underwent smooth breakdown with the aqueous acid treatment in THF at room temperature for 24 h to produce strands of carbon fiber without damaging their surface conditions and tensile strength. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Novel flame‐retardant thermosets: Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A as a curing agent of boron‐containing phenolic resins

Boron‐containing novolac resins were synthesized by the modification of a commercial novolac resin with different contents of bis(benzo‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolanyl)oxide. These novolac resins were crosslinked with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), and their thermal, thermodynamomechanical, and flame‐retardant properties were evaluated. The boron‐containing novolac resins were less thermally stable than the unmodified novolac resin. Their modification degree and DGEBA content were related to the crosslinking density of the materials. The boron‐containing novolac resins generated boric acid at high temperatures and gave an intumescent char that slowed down the degradation and prevented it from being total. They also showed good flame‐retardant properties. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1701–1710, 2006     

Thermal properties and fracture toughness of epoxy resins cured by phosphonium and pyrazinium salts as latent cationic initiators

In this work, the latent thermal cationic initiators triphenyl benzyl phosphonium hexafluoroantimonate (TBPH) and benzyl‐2‐methylpyrazinium hexafluoroantimonate (BMPH) were newly synthesized and characterized with IR, ¹H NMR, and P NMR spectroscopy. The thermal and mechanical properties of difunctional epoxy [diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)] resins cured by 1 phr of either TBPH or BMPH were investigated. The DGEBA/TBPH system showed a higher curing temperature and a higher critical stress intensity factor than the epoxy/BMPH system. This could be interpreted in terms of the slow thermal diffusion rate and bulk structure of the four phenyl groups in TBPH. However, the decomposition activation energy derived from the Coats–Redfern method was lower for epoxy/TBPH. This result was probably due to the fact that a broken short‐chain structure was developed by the steric hindrance of TBPH in the difunctional epoxy resin. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2393–2403, 2003     

Kinetics and thermal properties of epoxy resins based on bisphenol fluorene structure

The fluorene-containing epoxy, diglycidyl ether of 9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) fluorene (DGEBF) was synthesized by a two-step reaction procedure. In order to investigate the relationship between fluorene structure and material properties, DGEBF and a commonly used diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) were cured with 4,4-diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM) and 4,4-(9-fluorenylidene)-dianiline (FDA). The curing kinetics, thermal properties and decomposition kinetics of these four systems (DGEBA/DDM, DGEBF/DDM, DGEBA/FDA, and DGEBF/FDA) were studied in detail. The curing reactivity of fluorene epoxy resins was lower, but the thermal stability was higher than bisphenol A resins. The onset decomposition temperature of cured epoxy resins was not significantly affected by fluorene structure, but the char yield and T_g value were increased with that of fluorene content. Our results indicated that the addition of fluorene structure to epoxy resin is an effective method to improve the thermal properties of resins, but excess fluorene ring in the chain backbone can depress the curing efficiency of the resin.     

Curing properties of novel curing agent based on phenyl bisthiourea for an epoxy resin system

Phenyl bisthioureas: 4,4′-(bisthiourea)diphenylmethane (DTM), 4,4′-(bisthiourea)diphenyl ether (DTE), and 4,4′-(bisthiourea)diphenyl sulfone (DTS) were synthesized and used as curing agents for the epoxy resin diglydicyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA). Synthesized phenyl bisthioureas were characterized using FT-IR and ¹H-NMR analysis. For comparison studies the epoxy system was also cured using the conventional aromatic amine 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (DDE). Curing kinetics of epoxy/amine system was studied by dynamic and isothermal differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Curing kinetic was evaluated based on model-free kinetics (MFK) and ASTM E 698 model, and the activation energy was compared with DDE. Curing system of phenyl bisthiourea link (DGEBA/DTM, DGEBA/DTE, and DGEBA/DTS) shows two exothermic peaks, while that of the conventional aromatic amines showed only a single peak. The initial exothermic peak is due to the primary nitrogen of the thiourea group, and the exotherm at higher temperature is due to the presence of thiourea groups. Glass transition temperature (T _g) of DGEBA/DTM, DGEBA/DTE, and DGEBA/DTS cured resins were lowered by 323 K when compared to the widely used diaminodiphenyl ether (DDE) cured resin. Oxidation induction temperature measurement performed on DSC suggests that the DGEBA/DTM, DGEBA/DTE, and DGEBA/DTS system cured resins has better oxidative stability when compared to cured DGEBA/DDE resin system.     

Flame retardant epoxy resins based on diglycidyloxymethylphenylsilane

Silicon‐containing epoxy resins were prepared from diglycidyloxymethylphenyl silane (DGMPS) and diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) by crosslinking with 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM). Several DGMPS/DGEBA molar ratios were used to obtain materials with different silicon contents. Their thermal, dynamomechanical, and flame‐retardant properties were evaluated and related to the silicon content. The weight loss rate of the silicon‐containing resins is lower than that of the silicon free resin. Char yields under nitrogen and air atmospheres increase with the silicon content. The LOI (limited oxygen index) values increased from 24 for a standard commercial resin to 36 for silicon‐containing resins, demonstrating improved flame retardancy. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5580–5587, 2006     

Reaction of glycidyl phenyl ether with imines: A model study of latent hardeners of epoxy resins in the presence of water

The hydrolyses of several imines and their reactions with glycidyl phenyl ether were examined under highly humid conditions as a model study for the development of water‐initiated hardeners for epoxy resins. Diethyl ketone‐based imines were hydrolyzed more efficiently than methyl isobutyl ketone‐based imines. The reactions of glycidyl phenyl ether with the imines depended on their hydrolysis rates and the basicity of the amines generated from them. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 971–975, 2002     

Recyclable carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics (CFRP) containing degradable acetal linkages: Synthesis,properties, and chemical recycling

Two epoxy resins containing degradable acetal linkages were synthesized by the reaction of cresol novolak‐type phenolic resin (CN) with vinyl ethers containing a glycidyl group [cyclohexane dimethanol vinyl glycidyl ether (CHDMVG) and 4‐vinyloxybutyl glycidyl ether (VBGE). Carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics (CFRPs) were prepared by heating laminated prepreg sheets with CN‐CHDMVG resin (derived from CN and CHDMVG) and CN‐VBGE resin (derived from CN and VBGE), in which carbon fibers are impregnated with epoxy resins containing curing agents [dicyandiamide (DICY)] and curing accelerator [3‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐1,1‐dimethylurea (DCMU)]. CN‐CHDMVG‐based CFRPs and CN‐VBGE‐based CFRPs exhibited almost the same tensile strength as the conventional bisphenol‐A‐based CFRPs. CN‐CHDMVG‐based CFRPs and CN‐VBGE‐based CFRPs underwent smooth breakdown with the treatment of hydrochloric acid in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature for 24 h to regenerate strands of carbon fibers. The surface conditions of the recovered carbon fibers had little changes during degradation and recovery processes on the basis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The recovered carbon fibers exhibited almost the same tensile strength as virgin carbon fibers and hence would be reused for the production of CFRPs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1052–1059     

Mechanical properties and inhomogeneous nanostructures of dicyandiamide-cured epoxy resins

Dicyandiamide (DICY)-cured epoxy resins are important materials for structural adhesives and matrix resins for fiber reinforced prepregs. The objective of this study was to examine the mechanical and physical properties as well as the gel structures of the cured resins and discuss the relationships among them. Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) oligomers were chosen as the common chemical structure of the epoxy resins. Four kinds of resin mixtures were formulated using the seven types of DGEBA oligomers having different molecular weight distributions. Three resin formulations having bimodal-type molecular weight distributions were designed to have almost identical rubbery plateau values of the storage modulus in dynamic mechanical analyses after curing, means that they had almost equivalent average crosslink density and basic chemical structure. However, the toughness, ductility, and environmental (heat and solvent) resistance of these three formulations were different. Atomic force microscopy revealed the existence of inhomogeneous nanoscale gel structures in these cured resins. The morphological differences in the gel structures in terms of their size, the connectivity, and the relative magnitude of the heterogeneity would cause the difference in several properties of the DICY-cured epoxy resins. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1425–1434, 2007     

Epoxy-modified, unsaturated polyester hybrid networks

Hybrid polymer networks (HPNs) based on unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) and epoxy resins were synthesized by reactive blending. The epoxy resins used were epoxidised phenolic novolac (EPN), epoxidised cresol novolac (ECN) and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). Epoxy novolacs were prepared by glycidylation of the novolacs using epichlorohydrin. The physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the cured blends were compared with those of the control resin. Epoxy resins show good miscibility and compatibility with the UPR resin on blending and the co-cured resin showed substantial improvement in the toughness and impact resistance. Considerable enhancement of tensile strength and toughness are noticed at very low loading of EPN. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to study the thermal properties of the toughened resin. The EPN/UPR blends showed substantial improvement in thermal stability as evident from TGA and damping data. The fracture behaviour was corroborated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The performance of EPN is found to be superior to other epoxy resins.     

Fracture toughening of epoxy matrices with blends of resins of different molecular weights and other modifiers

The microstructure and fracture behavior of epoxy mixtures containing two monomers of different molecular weights were studied. The variation of the fracture toughness by the addition of other modifiers was also investigated. Several amounts of high‐molecular‐weight diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) oligomer were added to a nearly pure DGEBA monomer. The mixtures were cured with an aromatic amine, showing phase separation after curing. The curing behavior of the epoxy mixtures was investigated with thermal measurements. A significant enhancement of the fracture toughness was accompanied by slight increases in both the rigidity and strength of the mixtures that corresponded to the content of the high‐molecular‐weight epoxy resin. Dynamic mechanical and atomic force microscopy measurements indicated that the generated two‐phase morphology was a function of the content of the epoxy resin added. The influence of the addition of an oligomer or a thermoplastic on the morphologies and mechanical properties of both epoxy‐containing mixtures was also investigated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3920–3933, 2004     

Organic/inorganic hybrid epoxy nanocomposites based on octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane

Octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane (OAPS) was used as the curing agent of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin. A study on comparison of DGEBA/OAPS with DGEBA/4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) epoxy resins was achieved. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the curing reaction and its kinetics, and the glass transition of DGEBA/OAPS. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to investigate thermal decomposition of the two kinds of epoxy resins. The reactions between amino groups and epoxy groups were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe morphology of the two epoxy resins. The results indicated that OAPS had very good compatibility with DGEBA in molecular level, and could form a transparent DGEBA/OAPS resin. The curing reaction of the DGEBA/OAPS prepolymer could occur under low temperatures compared with DGEBA/DDS. The DGEBA/OAPS resin didn’t exhibit glass transition, but the DGEBA/DDS did, which meant that the large cage structure of OAPS limited the motion of chains between the cross-linking points. Measurements of the contact angle indicated that the DGEBA/OAPS showed larger angles with water than the DGEBA/DDS resin. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the incorporation of OAPS into epoxy system resulted in low mass loss rate and high char yield, but its initial decomposition temperature seemed to be lowered.     

Synthesis,characterization, and properties of novel epoxy resins and cyanate esters

We synthesized a novel epoxy (dopotep) and cyanate ester (dopotcy) based on a phosphorus‐containing triphenol (dopotriol). The proposed structures were confirmed by IR, mass spectra, NMR spectra, and epoxy‐equivalent‐weight titration. The synthesized dopotep or dopotcy was copolymerized with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), 6′,6‐bis(3‐phenyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐1,3‐benzoxazineyl)methane (F‐a), or dicyanate ester of bisphenol A (BADCY). Thus, copolymers based on DGEBA/dopotep/diphenylmethane (ddm), F‐a/dopotep, BADCY/dopotcy, and DGEBA/dopotcy were developed. The thermal properties, dielectric properties, and flame retardancy of these copolymers were investigated. The curing kinetics of dopotep/ddm and dopotep/diamino diphenylsulfone were studied with differential scanning calorimetry. The microstructure of DGEBA/dopotcy was studied with IR. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3487–3502, 2006     

Nonaqueous synthesis of nanosilica in epoxy resin matrix and thermal properties of their cured nanocomposites

Nonaqueous synthesis of nanosilica in diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A epoxy (DGEBA) resin has been successfully achieved in this study by reacting tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) directly with DGEBA epoxy matrix, at 80 °C for 4 h under the catalysis of boron trifluoride monoethylamine (BF₃MEA). BF₃MEA was proved to be an effective catalyst for the formation of nanosilica in DGEBA epoxy under thermal heating process. FTIR and ²⁹Si NMR spectra have been used to characterize the structures of nanosilica obtained from this direct thermal synthetic process. The morphology of the nanosilica synthesized in epoxy matrix has also been analyzed by TEM and SEM studies. The effects of both the concentration of BF₃MEA catalyst and amount of TEOS on the diameters of nanosilica in the DGEBA epoxy resin have been discussed in this study. From the DSC analysis, it was found that the nanosilica containing epoxy exhibited the same curing profile as pure epoxy resin, during the curing reaction with 4,4′‐diaminodiphenysulfone (DDS). The thermal‐cured epoxy–nanosilica composites from 40% of TEOS exhibited high glass transition temperature of 221 °C, which was almost 50 °C higher than that of pure DGEBA–DDS–BF₃MEA‐cured resin network. Almost 60 °C increase in thermal degradation temperature has been observed during the TGA of the DDS‐cured epoxy–nanosilica composites containing 40% of TEOS. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 757–768, 2006     

Epoxy resins. II. The preparation,characterization, and curing of epoxy resins and their copolymers

A polymer with high aromatic ring content in the chain backbone usually has high heat and flame resistance. Three diglycidyl ethers of epoxy resins were prepared from bisphenol A (DGEBA), phenolphthalein (DGEPP), and 9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene (DGEBF) in a study of the relation between the cured polymer structure and properties. The epoxy resin prepared from phenolphthalein was separated by liquid chromatography and three fractions were obtained. The fractions had a basic structure of 3,3-disubstituted phthalide and differed only in molecular weight. The DGEPP resin changed color from yellow to red after mixing with trimethoxyboroxine (TMB), the curing agent, and to orange after completing the curing cycle. To prepare a highly crosslinked material with good thermal stability, TMB with three active Lewis sites in a molecule was used as the curing agent. The reactivity of the three different resins toward TMB, measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), was DGEBA > DGEBF > DGEPP. For the same curing conditions the order of crosslink density was DGEBA > DGEPP > DGEBF. To modify the flammability of DGEBA, the conventional epoxy resin, it was copolymerized with DGEPP and DGEBF, the higher-performance epoxy resins. The glass transition temperatures of poly(DGEBA-co-DGEPP) and poly(DGEBA-co-DGEBF) systems deviated from this relationship. The DGEBF copolymers showed an increased char residue (40 wt % at 700°C) at 20 mole % of DGEBF. This deviation may be due to the lower crosslinking density of this system.     

Calorimetric studies on an anhydride‐cured epoxy resin from diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A and diglycidyl ether of poly(propylene glycol). I. Onset of diffusion control during isothermal polymerization

Calorimetric studies on a series of anhydride‐cured epoxy resins, in which the epoxy oligomer is a mixture of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A (DGEBA) and diglycidyl ether of poly(propylene glycol) (DGEPPG) in different mole ratios, were carried out. DGEPPG is a flexible epoxy oligomer that was used to tune glass transition temperature for the fully reacted epoxy resin. Conversion versus time curves for the systems with different DGEBA/DGEPPG mole ratios (not including the neat DGEPPG system) were found to overlap with each other in mass‐controlled reaction regime, indicating similar reactivities of epoxy groups in both epoxy oligomers. Onset of diffusion‐controlled reaction regime for different systems was estimated by fitting the conversion versus time data using a phenomenological kinetic equation, as well as from direct comparison of the conversion versus time curves. For the systems (i.e., 0, 10, and 30% DGEPPG) that vitrify during reaction, the crossover from mass‐controlled to diffusion‐controlled reaction occurs close to the onset of the vitrification, where T_g is about 25–30 K below the reaction temperature. For the system (i.e., 50% DGEPPG system) that does not vitrify during the reaction, such crossover still occurs when the T_g of the mixture reaches a value about 25 K below the reaction temperature. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2155–2165, 2008     

Advanced flame‐retardant epoxy resins from phosphorus‐containing diol

Phosphorus‐containing epoxy systems were prepared from isobutylbis(hydroxypropyl)phosphine oxide (IHPO) and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). Diethyl‐N,N‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) aminomethyl phosphonate (Fyrol 6) could not be incorporated into the epoxy backbone by a reaction with either epichlorohydrin or DGEBA because intramolecular cyclization took place. The curing behavior of the IHPO–DGEBA prepolymer with two primary amines was studied, and materials with moderate glass‐transition temperatures were obtained. V‐0 materials were obtained when the resins were tested for ignition resistance with the UL‐94 test. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3510–3515, 2005     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid‐crystalline epoxy and its blend with conventional epoxy

Terephthaloyl chloride was reacted with 4‐hydroxy benzoic acid to get terephthaloylbis(4‐oxybenzoic) acid, which was characterized and further reacted with epoxy resin [diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)] to get a liquid‐crystalline epoxy resin (LCEP). This LCEP was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarized optical microscopy (POM). LCEP was then blended in various compositions with DGEBA and cured with a room temperature curing hardener. The cured blends were characterized by DSC and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) for their thermal and viscoelastic properties. The cured blends exhibited higher storage moduli and lower glass‐transition temperatures (tan δ_max, from DMA) as compared with that of the pure DGEBA network. The formation of a smectic liquid‐crystalline phase was observed by POM during the curing of LCEP and DGEBA/LCEP blends. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3375–3383, 2003     

Curing studies of epoxy resins with phosphorus‐containing amines

The curing system of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with two phosphorus‐containing amine compounds—bis(3‐aminophenyl)methyl phosphine oxide and bis(4‐aminophenyl)‐bis(9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐oxide‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐yl)methane—was studied with differential scanning calorimetry under isothermal and nonisothermal conditions and compared with the DGEBA/diamino diphenyl methane system. The isoconversional method was used to evaluate the dependence of the effective activation energy on the extent of conversion. Modulated differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis were used to study the phenomena of vitrification and gelation. The thermal and flame‐retardant properties were evaluated, and the limiting oxygen index values of the phosphorylated resins, above 30, confirmed that phosphorus‐containing epoxy resins are effective flame retardants. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1676–1685, 2006     

Novel urethane/epoxy resin hybrid materials using a moisture‐curing system

Novel curing systems of a urethane/epoxy resin [diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)] alloy using the moisture‐latent hardener ketimine (K‐systems) were investigated on the DGEBA‐rich side and were compared with aromatic diamine curing systems (A‐systems). Almost all the added DGEBA was separated from the polyurethane matrix and dispersed as 2–10‐μm‐diameter particles after curing in the A‐systems. Therefore, DGEBA did not act as a reinforcing agent for the polyurethane matrix. However, 50% of the added DGEBA was dispersed as particles with a diameter of 1–4 μm, and the other 50% was incorporated into the polyurethane matrix in the novel K‐systems. Therefore, the polyurethane matrix in the K‐systems should be reinforced effectively by both incorporated and finely dispersed DGEBA and should result in significant improvements in the stress–strain properties. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1137–1144, 2004