2-Ethy-4-methylimidazole terminated polyurethane prepolymer as functional latent curing agents for epoxy resin crosslinking

Three kinds of 2-ethyl-4-methylimidazole (EMI)-terminated polyurethane prepolymer were prepared through the reaction between diethylene glycol (DEG), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) and different isocyanates (toluene diisocyanate (TDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), hexamethylenediisocyanate (HDI)). The storage stability, curing temperature and curing time of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with EMI derivatives have been investigated by viscometer, DSC, and FTIR, respectively. It was proved that DGEBA/EMI derivatives exhibited superior storage stability than that of DGEBA/EMI. And the DGEBA can be effectively cured by the EMI derivatives at 120–140?°C without the generation of harmful species. Moreover, the higher impact strength and lower glass transition temperature (Tg) suggested an improvement of stiffness. The results of tensile test and TGA indicated that the excellent bonding strength with steel and unconspicuous compromise in thermal stability were simultaneously achieved.     

Effects of prepolymer structure in holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal

Three different types of polyols—poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), and poly(tetramethylene glycol)—with different molecular weights (M_n) were incorporated into the prepolymer structure, and the effects were examined with regard to the morphology and performance of holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal. Among them, PEG showing the lowest glass transition temperature (T_g) exhibited the lowest threshold voltage (V_th), lowest operating voltage (V_op), and lowest diffraction efficiency with slow grating formation owing to its high viscosity of prepolymer mixture. The T_g decreased with increasing M_n because of the decreased crosslink density and hydrogen bonding, which reduced the anchoring strength, V_th and V_op. PPG400 gave V_th and V_op of approximately 7 and 24 V, respectively, with a contrast ratio of approximately 12. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Viscoelastic behavior of epoxy prepolymer/organophilic montmorillonite dispersions

Dispersions of a bisphenol A‐based epoxy resin with an organophilic montmorillonite (Nanofil 919) were studied by X‐ray diffraction and oscillatory shear rheometry. X‐ray studies reveal that the clay is intercalated by the epoxy and forms stable dispersions. The viscoelastic behavior of the nanodispersions was measured as a function of the Nanofil concentration and temperature. An increase in both G′ and G″ moduli was detected as the concentration increases. Furthermore, a transition from a liquid‐like behavior, at low temperatures, to a solid‐like behavior, at higher temperatures, was observed for all the samples. This transition is accounted for the formation of a percolated structure of interconnected tactoids through hydrophobic interactions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1837–1844, 2008     

Preparation and characterization of novel cyanate ester/epoxy resin microspheres

A novel kind of cyanate ester (CE)/epoxy resin microspheres have been synthesized using the polymerization technology of cyanate ester and epoxy resin in anhydrous ethanol media; surfactant sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate was used as an emulsifier, and imidazole was used as catalyst or curing agent. The morphologies, chemical structures, and thermal properties of microspheres were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy, optical microscope, differential scanning calorimeter, and thermogravimetric analyzer, respectively. The effects of process parameters such as the amount of imidazole and the weight ratio of epoxy resin to CE on the size and morphology of microsphere were discussed. Results indicate that the reactivity and surface morphology of microsphere can be adjusted by the amount of imidazole and the weight ratio of epoxy resin to CE. The prepared microsphere shows excellent thermal stability and good reactivity.     

Preparation of microspheres by an emulsification-complexation method

Microspheres were prepared by complexation of a cationic polymer, polyquaternium-24, and an anionic surfactant, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). The cationic polymer solution was emulsified in dimethylsiloxane to give water in silicone emulsion (W/Si), and it was used as a template for the formation of microspheres. The emulsion was dispersed into the SLS solution. In this process, two kinds of droplets, silicone dropletes and microspheres composed of the cationic polymer and SLS, were formed, evidenced by X-ray energy dispersive spectra. The mean diameter of the microspheres was reduced from 105.7 to 64.8 mum as the stirring rate for W/Si preparation increased from 300 to 1000 rpm. It is believed that water droplets in W/Si emulsion, when exposed to SLS solution, could be solidified by the complexation of the cationic polymer and the anionic surfactant.     

Preparation of holographic gratings of liquid crystals dispersed in polyurethane acrylates under controlled reaction conditions.

Transmission gratings of holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (HPDLC) are prepared under controlled reaction conditions by adding various amounts of chain-transfer agent (CTA). The resulting films have a higher gel content with lower cross-link density, less dark reaction, less grating shrinkage with much smoother LC/polymer interfaces, smaller induction period, and fast saturation of diffraction efficiency, which shows a maximum of 95 % with 1 % CTA. An optimum LC content of 35 % is verified on the basis of morphology and reaction kinetics.     

Preparation of block copolymers by use of peroxide-terminated prepolymer

Block copolymers containing poly(tetramethylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate) segments were prepared. A commercially available poly(tetramethylene oxide) terminated with tolylene diisocyanate was capped with tert-butyl hydroxymethyl peroxide and the resulting prepolymer peroxide was used as a free-radical initiator of vinyl polymerization. Block copolymers formed in temperature-programmed vinyl polymerizations possessed improved impact strengths over poly(methyl methacrylate) from 0.35 to 1.18 for a fixed (nonoptimized) block length of poly(tetramethylene oxide).     

Preparation of modified fly ash hollow glass microspheres using ionic liquids and its flame retardancy in thermoplastic polyurethane

Diphenyl sulfide was oxidized to sulfoxide and sulfone over V-doped TiO₂ using a 30% solution of H₂O₂. The TiO₂ samples with different intended content of vanadium (0.02, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.18 mass%) were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation. Physicochemical properties of the V-doped TiO₂ were characterized by chemical analysis (ICP-OES), X-ray diffraction (XRD/in situ HT-XRD), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectrometry (UV–Vis DRS), N₂-sorption measurements, electron paramagnetic resonance and cyclic voltammetry. Both vanadium oxide loading and calcination temperature influenced the structure of the V-TiO₂ samples. Vanadium species deposited on TiO₂ decreased temperatures required for anatase to rutile phase transformation. The V-TiO₂ samples were found to be efficient catalysts for oxidation of sulfides to sulfones. The sample with the lowest vanadium content (0.02VTiO₂) presented among the studied catalysts the best catalytic properties with respect to high conversion of diphenyl sulfide to diphenyl sulfonate. An increase in vanadium loading resulted in decrease in catalytic activity of the samples. Also non-modified TiO₂ presented significantly lower catalytic activity in comparison with 0.02VTiO₂. This interesting effect was related to the formation of highly dispersed vanadium species catalytically active in Ph₂S oxidation in the case of the samples with lower V-content. An increase in vanadium loading results in the formation of more aggregated V-species inactive, or less active, in the process of diphenyl sulfide oxidation.     

Preparation of microcapsules containing a curing agent for epoxy resin by polyaddition reaction with the self-assembly of phase-separated polymer method in an aqueous dispersed system

To prepare cured epoxy resin particles encapsulating a curing agent (diamine), the self-assembly of phase-separated polymer (SaPSeP) method was developed to be applicable to polyaddition reaction of a stoichiometrically imbalanced system. The SaPSeP method was developed by the authors for preparation of micrometer-sized, hollow cross-linked polymer particles by radical polymerization based on the self-assembly of phase-separated polymer at the inner interface of particles. Although a polyaddition reaction, in general, requires that the reactants are in stoichiometric balance for the cure reaction to proceed well, diamine was successfully encapsulated within a cured epoxy resin shell by utilizing the SaPSeP method regardless of stoichiometric imbalance. The results provide further support of the previously proposed SaPSeP mechanism for the formation of hollow particles. Moreover, such diamine capsules can be employed in one-component epoxy adhesives.     

Gel permeation chromatographic analysis of polyurethane prepolymer synthesis kinetics. I. The effect of catalyst

Polyurethane prepolymers are a complex mixture of oligomers. The proportion of the various species in this mixture determines the handling properties of the prepolymer as well as the physical properties of the final polyurethane. An analytical method has been developed that gives a clear and sensitive picture of both the reaction kinetics and the concentrations of the oligomeric species in the prepolymer mixture. The analytical method is applied to the polypropylene glycol/tolylene diisocyanate/catalyst system. The expected changes in reaction rates and in the formation of higher oligomers in the prepolymer were observed when catalyst was added at three different polyol molecular weights. An alternative equation for predicting the number average degree of polymerization is developed for the cases where reactant ratios are significantly less than one. An empirical equation is derived that permits expressing the reaction kinetic data in a linear plot. This equation is used to express the results of this work.     

Effect of carbon nanotubes dispersed in binder on properties of epoxy nanocomposite

Effect of quality parameters of starting raw materials, native carbon nanotubes (degree of defectiveness, thermal stability, morphology) on the properties of carboxylated and amidated nanotubes produced from these raw materials and on the homogeneity of a dispersion of amidated nanotubes in an epoxy oligomer was studied. The physicomechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites produced from these dispersions were examined. It was found experimentally that an increase in the defectiveness of native nanotubes leads to a rise in the size of numerous aggregates in dispersions composed of an epoxy resin and amidated carbon nanotubes and, as a result, to deterioration of the physicomechanical characteristics of epoxy nanocomposites based on these dispersions.     

聚氨酯/环氧树脂互穿网络聚合物的性能研究

互穿聚合物网络（Interpenetrating polymer net-work,简称IPN）广泛应用的为聚氨酯基的互穿网络聚合物。其合成多集中在弹性体方面。本文用同步法合成的聚氨酯／环氧树脂互穿网络硬质泡沫塑料材料（简称PU／ERIPNF）,机械性能较好,并研究了其动态力学性能及形态变化。     

Reactions in aminosilane–epoxy prepolymer systems I. Kinetics of epoxy–amine reactions

The reactions of an epoxy prepolymer based on bisphenol A diglycidylether (DGEBA) with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (γ-APS) are studied. The results of different techniques are compared: size exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, chemical titration, and Fourier Transform Infrared absorption. Epoxy amine reactions are shown to be faster than the crosslinking reactions between alkoxysilane and hydroxy groups, and thus, can be studied seprately. The reactivity of the epoxy group in DGEBA is compared with that of phenylglycidylether (PGE). And the reactivity of the amine group of γ-APS is compared with that of hexylamine. The kinetic constants are calculated with a mechanism which takes into account both the catalytic and noncatalytic reactions. The ratio r = k₂/k₁ of the reactivity of the secondary to the primary amino-hydrogens was also determined. The values of r are 1.4 for hexylamine and 1.2 for γ-APS. The reactivity of the epoxy groups are the same for both PGE and DGEBA.     

Preparation of biodegradable polyesteramide microspheres

Biodegradable polyesteramide copolymer P(CL/AU) based on -caprolactone and 11-aminoundecanoic acid was synthesized by the melt polycondensation method. Polyesteramide (PEA) microspheres were prepared by a simple O/W emulsion solvent evaporation method. The effects of variations in preparation parameters (such as emulsifier concentration, polymer concentration, polymer solution adding rate, stirring rate, and whether vacuum was applied) were studied in detail. The obtained microsphere morphologies were observed using an optical microscope and via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle size distribution was determined using a Malvern laser particle sizer. When the PEA microspheres were incubated in PBS saline, the particle size increased at first, and then decreased after a longer time period; the theory that this behavior was due to degradation of the microspheres was confirmed by SEM.     

Polyaddition reaction in a dispersed medium: elaboration of new core-shell polyurethane particles

The elaboration in a dispersed organic medium of calibrated polyurethane particles with a core-shell structure is presented in this paper. The objective could be achieved by using a series of reactive steric stabilizers of the type ω-(OH)_x-poly(n-butyl acrylate), -polystyrene, -polysiloxane or -polybutadiene (x=1 or 2) that play the role of surfmers during the polyaddition reaction between ethylene glycol and tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate, in cyclohexane as a dispersant medium. The final size of the polyurethane particles (0,5-10 μm) was found to be a function of the steric stabilizer characteristics (nature, molar mass and concentration) and of the addition procedure of the different reactants. These novel particles constituted of a polyurethane core and various shells depending on the stabilizer used exhibit specific and original properties.     

Synthesis of uniform polyurethane particles by step growth polymerization in a dispersed medium

Polyurethane microspheres were prepared by polyaddition of ethylene glycol (EG) and tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) at 60 °C in cyclohexane as the organic dispersion medium, in the presence of dibutyl tin dilaurate (DBTDL) as catalyst and poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers or P-hydroxypolystyrenes as the steric stabilizers. Different parameters such as the manner of addition of the reactants, the concentration, and length of the stabilizer were varied to tune the polyurethane particle size. When P-OH polystyrenes of low molar mass ([`(M)]_n\bar M_n =2000-3000 g mol^-1) were used as the reactive stabilizers of dispersion, polyurethane particles in a tunable size range of 0.2-5 µm with a narrow size distribution (span = 0.7) could be prepared.     

Thermally reversible light scattering films based on the melting/crystallization of organic crystals dispersed in an epoxy matrix

Films that can be reversibly switched from opaque to transparent states by varying temperature (TRLS films), have potential applications in thermal sensors, optical devices, recording media, etc. A dispersion of organic crystals in a thermoset may be used for these purposes provided that at temperatures higher than the melting point there is a matching of refractive indices of both phases. A model system consisting on a dispersion of diphenyl (DP) crystals in an epoxy matrix based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and m-xylylenediamine, was analyzed as a possible TRLS film encapsulated between transparent covers to avoid sublimation of DP. To obtain a uniform dispersion of DP-rich domains in the epoxy matrix by polymerization-induced phase separation, it was necessary to add 5 wt% of polystyrene (PS) to the initial formulation. Phase separation induced by polymerization at 80 °C led to a dispersion of PS/DP domains in the epoxy matrix due to the low compatibility of PS with the epoxy and its high compatibility with DP. Crystallization and melting processes were confined to the interior of dispersed domains leading to an excellent reproducibility of the optical properties of TRLS films in the course of successive heating-cooling cycles.     

Enhancing toughness of poly (lactic acid)/Thermoplastic polyurethane blends via increasing interface compatibility by polyurethane elastomer prepolymer and its toughening mechanism

Due to the environmental pollution caused by the petroleum-based polymer, poly (lactic acid) (PLA), a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer that obtained from natural and renewable sources, has attracted widespread attention. However, the brittleness of PLA greatly limits its application. In this study, the super toughened PLA-based blends were obtained by compatibilizing the PLA/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) blends with the polyurethane elastomer prepolymer (PUEP) as an active compatibilizer. The mechanical properties, thermal properties and corresponding toughening mechanism of PLA/TPU/PUEP system were studied by tensile test, instrumented impact test, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All the results demonstrate that the isocyanate (−NCO) group in PUEP is successfully reacted with the –OH groups at both sides of the PLA and the obtained polyurethane (PU)~PLA copolymer (PU ~ cõ PLA) significantly improves the interfacial compatibility of PLA/TPU blends. The gradually refined dispersed phase size and fuzzy phase interface as displayed in SEM images suggest a good interfacial compatibilization in the PLA/TPU/PUEP blends, probably due to the isocyanate reaction between PLA and PUEP. And the interfacial reaction and compatibilization among the components led to the formation of super toughened PLA/TPU/PUEP blends. And the instrumented impact results indicate that most of the impact toughness is provided by the crack propagation rather than the crack initiation during the entire fracture process.     

Diffraction grating in a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal based on polyurethane acrylate

Diffraction modes of holographic grating were fabricated with polyurethane acrylates of various monomers, and with various film compositions, irradiation intensities, cell gaps and reading angles. An optimum monomer composition, LC content and irradiation intensity were obtained in terms of diffraction efficiency. Of the two types of multifunctional acrylate examined, dipentaerythritol penta-/hexa-acylate (DPHPA) gave better diffraction efficiency than the trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) throughout the monomer compositions tested. This was interpreted in terms of high elasticity of the high functionality monomer. The existence of an optimum irradiation intensity at fixed resin composition was interpreted in terms of optimum rate of cure. A monotonic increases of diffraction efficiency with cell gap and interbeam angle were also noted, implying that the grating was formed uniformly as visualized by scanning electron microscopy.