Mechanical properties and curing kinetics of epoxy resins cured by various amino-terminated polyethers

<正>A high performance thermosetting epoxy resin crosslinkable at room temperature was obtained via directly moulding diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A(DGEBA) and flexibleα,ω-bisamino(n-alkylene)phenyl terminated poly(ethylene glycol).The influences of the n-alkylene inserted in aminophenyl of flexible amino-terminated polythers(ATPE) on the mechanical properties,fractographs and curing kinetics of the ATPE-DGEBA cured products were studied.The results show that the insertion of n-alkylene group into the aminophenyl group of the ATPE,on one hand,can significantly increase the strain relaxation rate and decrease glass transition temperature of the ATPE-DGEBA cured products,resulting in slight decrease of the Young's modulus and tensile strength,and significant increase of the toughness and elongation of the ATPE-DGEBA cured products.On the other hand,it can remarkably enhance the reactivity of amine with epoxy,much accelerating the curing rate of the ATPE-DGEBA systems.The activation energy of DGEBA cured by BAPTPE,BAMPTPE and BAEPTPE was 53.1,28.5 and 25.4 kJ·mol~(-1),respectively.The as-obtained ATPE-DGEBA cured products are homogeneous, transparent,and show excellent mechanical properties including tensile strength and toughness.Thus they are promising to have important applications in structure adhesives,casting bulk materials,functional coatings,cryogenic engineering, damping and sound absorbing materials.     

Effect of new nonionic curing agent on curing kinetics and mechanical properties of epoxy resin

The current research work presents a novel nonionic curing agent (AEDA) synthesized by utilizing ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE), 3,4-dimethoxyaniline (DI), and triethylenetetramine (TETA). Infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure of AEDA curing agent. Non-isothermal scanning calorimetry was used to determine the activation energy and curing conditions of epoxy resin in the curing process. An impact testing machine, a tensile testing machine and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to analyze the impact strength, tensile strength, bending strength, and micromorphology of the AEDA/E-51 system with different mass ratios. The results show that AEDA is an effective high-temperature curing agent. For the AEDA/E-51 system with the optimal mass ratio of 10:100, the best curing temperature is 92.15°C, and the post-curing temperature is 135.65°C. Furthermore, the apparent activation energy (E_a) of 1670 J/mol, the pre-exponential factor (A) of 3.7 × 10^?4, and the reaction series (n) value of 0.76 are obtained for the AEDA/E-51 system. The impact strength of AEDA/E-51 epoxy resin polymer is 7.82 kJ/m², tensile strength is 14.2 MPa, and bending strength is 18.92 MPa. The micromorphological results of the AEDA/E-51 system are consistent with the results of DSC test and mechanical properties test. Hence, this study provides theoretical support for the practical applications of AEDA as curing agent.     

Mechanical properties of polymer composites based on commercial epoxy vinyl ester resin and glass fiber

The effect of the addition of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) and cobalt naphthenate (CoNaph) on the mechanical behavior of epoxy vinyl ester resin (EVER) laminates has been investigated by using a factorial experimental design, in which the MEKP and NaphCo contents were varied. Previous results showed that there is an interaction effect between the process variables analysed on the mechanical properties evaluated. It was also observed that the MEKP/CoNaph ratio affected the tensile behavior of the EVER/glass fiber composites.     

Radiation induced effects on particulate composites from epoxy resin and fly-ash

In this paper gamma-radiation damages and effects on an epoxide matrix and on its particulate composite with coal fly ash have been studied; the curing of both formulations was carried out at room temperature by means of tetraethylenepentamine and of a tailored polyalkylenepolyaminophenolic product. The change on mechanical properties following the irradiation in air at room temperature has been tested as a function of the total absorbed dose. The chemical modification induced by the ionizing radiation on the matrices have been investigated by means of infrared spectrophotometry and differential scanning calorimetry. The high radiation resistance of the matrix and above all of the particulate composite suggests its use for the confinment of low and medium activity radwastes (nuclear or medical).     

Thermal and photochemical ageing of epoxy resin - Influence of curing agents

The thermal and photochemical ageing of epoxy resin was studied using photoacoustic-FTIR spectroscopy. This technique was satisfactory for both unfilled resin and glass fibre filled epoxy composite. The influence of the curing agent (anhydride or amine) was significant for ageing. The durability of anhydride-epoxy system was the best for both thermal and photoageing.     

用FTIR定量研究环氧树脂固化反应动力学制样方法的确定

利用FTIR进行环氧树脂固化反应的动力学研究需要精确的样品制备方法,摸索到一套合适的样品制备方法。将KBr研成细粉,通过孔径为0.074mm筛子使粒子均匀,在120~150℃下加热24h后,取0.25g,放入红外压片模具,在压力为800MPa条件下加压时间5~10min,压制成厚度为0.08mm的透明均匀KBr盐片。将环氧树脂均匀涂在这种KBr盐片上,放入微型反应器中反应,之后一同放入FTIR仪中进行扫描,实验证明这种制样方法可以保证红外定量分析的可靠性。     

Curing characteristics of carboxyl functionalized glucose resin and epoxy resin

The curing characteristics of carboxylic functionalized glucose resin (glucose maleic acid ester vinyl resin: GMAEV) and epoxy resin have been studied using DSC and FTIR methods. Exothermic reactions attributed to esterification and etherification reactions of the hydroxyl and carboxyl functionalities of GMAEV with the epoxy groups were identified. Exothermic reactions showed very different patterns according to the degree of carboxyl group substituent of GMAEV. The results showed that esterification reaction occurs in the early stage of cure and then etherification followed after completion of the esterification. A cured matrix containing epoxy resin and 50 wt.% of GMAEV was prepared and characterized. The cured matrix showed thermal stability up to 300 °C. The average glass transition temperature and storage modulus of the matrix were as high as 95 °C and 2700 MPa, respectively. The cured matrix of epoxy resin and GMAEV with higher degree of carboxyl group was found to have a lower density due to the formation of bulky groups in the crosslinks.     

Cationic polymerization and physicochemical properties of a biobased epoxy resin initiated by thermally latent catalysts

The cationic polymerization and physicochemical properties of a biobased epoxy resin, epoxidized castor oil (ECO), initiated by N-benzylpyrazinium hexafluoroantimonate (BPH) and N-benzylquinoxalinium hexafluoroantimonate (BQH) as thermally latent catalysts were studied. As a result, BPH and BQH show an activity at different temperatures in the present systems. The cured ECO/BPH system showed a higher glass transition temperature, a lower coefficient of thermal expansion, and higher thermal stability factors than those of the ECO/BQH system. On the other hand, the mechanical properties of the ECO/BQH system were higher than those of the ECO/BPH system. These have been attributed to the differences in crosslinking level of cured resins, which were induced by the different activity of the latent catalysts.     

The mechanical properties and tribological behavior of epoxy resin composites modified by different shape nanofillers

Mechanical properties and tribological behavior of epoxy resin (EP) and EP nanocomposites containing different shape nanofillers, such as spherical silica (SiO₂), layered organo‐modified montmorillonite (oMMT) and oMMT‐SiO₂ composites, were investigated. The SiO₂‐oMMT composites were prepared by in situ deposition method and coupling agent modification, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis shows that spherical SiO₂ is self‐assembled on the surface of oMMT, which forms a novel layered‐spherical nanostructure. The mechanical properties test results show that oMMT obviously improves the strength of EP and SiO₂ enhances its toughness, but oMMT‐SiO₂ exhibits a synergistic effect on toughening and reinforcing EP simultaneously. A pin‐on‐disc rig was used to test friction and wear loss of pure EP and EP nanocomposites. The tribological test results prove that these nanofillers with different shapes play different roles for improving the wear resistance of EP nanocomposites. Morphologies of the worn surfaces were studied further by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, and it was clarified that the EP and EP nanocomposites undergo similar wear mechanisms. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemorheological study of the curing kinetics of a phenolic resol resin gelled

The changes in the resin viscosity, conductivity, mass, and enthalpy during curing reactions have been studied to obtain kinetic parameters that allow modeling of the resin behavior throughout its industrial application. In this work, isothermal rheological tests of a phenolic resol resin were performed in order to study its complex viscosity during crosslinking reactions. Samples were prepared by a precuring treatment in a heated plate press to reach gel point of the resin. Rheological analyses of resol resin curing were carried out at five different temperatures (80-100 °C), and the kinetic models of Arrhenius and Kiuna were applied. The resol resin curing presented an activation energy of 72.1 kJ/mol according to the Arrhenius model. The Kiuna model was proposed to fit the non-linear evolution of the resin’s complex viscosity at the highest temperatures. This kinetic model was suitable for predicting the changes in the complex viscosity of the resol resin after its gelation, and the process activation energy obtained for the second order polynomial applied in this model was 88.1 kJ/mol. In addition, the profile for the degree of curing of resol resin was determined from measurements of the material’s elastic modulus.     

Influence of surface modified graphene oxide on the mechanical performance and curing kinetics of epoxy resin

In this study, the hyperbranched polyester were successfully grafted onto graphene oxide (GO). The mechanical performance and curing kinetics of epoxy resin (EP), EP/ graphene oxide (EP/GO), and EP/ hyperbranched polyester grafted GO (EP/GO‐B) were investigated by means of mechanical tests and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results revealed that the presence of GO lowered the cure temperature and accelerated the curing of EP, and the addition of GO‐B exhibited a stronger effect in accelerating the cure of EP compared with GO. Activation energies were calculated using Kissinger approach, and Ozawa approach, respectively. Results revealed lowered activation energy after the addition of GO or GO‐B at low degrees of cure, indicating that GO had a large effect on the curing reaction. The presence of GO facilitated the curing reaction, especially the initial epoxy‐amine reaction. Moreover, GO‐B exhibited better performance. Related mechanism was proposed.     

Simulation of the thermal degradation and curing kinetics of fly ash reinforced diglycidyl ether bisphenol A composite

Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) is concluding expanding applicability in determination of the thermal stability and degradation nature of materials. The present study investigates the thermal degradation behavior and the kinetics of degradation of epoxy mixed with varying percentages of 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 ​wt% fly ash. Thermal stability and degradation behavior of fly ash modified epoxy cast were determined by thermogravimetric analysis. The kinetic parameters of the EF composites were calculated by using Coats–Redfern, Broido and Horowitz–Metzger models under best-fit analysis and further proved by linear regression analysis. The kinetics of thermal degradation was calculated from data scanned at a heating rate of 10 ​°C/min. The obtained results reveal that kinetic parameters and thermal behavior of EF composites were improved with the reinforcement of fly ash. The cure kinetics of the varying content of fly ash reinforced epoxy cast were also studied by using a nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) technique at four different heating rates 5 ​°C/min, 10 ​°C/min, 15 ​°C/min and 20 ​°C/min. The curing kinetics of the EF composite was derived from the nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data with the three Kissinger, Ozawa, and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa models, respectively.     

Effect of a novel green modification of alumina nanoparticles on the curing kinetics and electrical insulation properties of epoxy composites

A novel green surface modification was successfully implemented on alumina nanoparticles using chitosan (CS) to prevent nanoparticles' aggregation. To evaluate the surface changes of nanoparticles, FTIR, TGA, TEM, and SEM analyses were used. The cure kinetics of the uncured samples was analyzed by DSC. Different methods such as KAS, Friedman, Starink, and FWO were applied to measure the activation energy. The activation energy of epoxy reinforced with chitosan-functionalized alumina (epoxy/[CS-EPO-alumina]) was less than that of epoxy reinforced with alumina (epoxy/alumina), which was a confirmation of the positive effect of CS on curing reaction kinetics. Using the Malek method, the Sestak-Berggren autocatalytic equation was chosen to investigate the cure kinetics of the epoxy. It was found that the Sestak-Berggren equation is well matched with the experimental data and the model was suitable to predict the epoxy curing reaction reliably. Moreover, the glass transition temperatures of all samples were approximately the same. The effect of surface modification of alumina on the electrical insulating behavior of epoxy was also studied. It was found that CS functionalized alumina (CS-EPO-alumina) increased volume resistivity of epoxy at a temperature range of 30 to 80°C more than that of alumina. Electric stability and breakdown strength of epoxy/alumina and epoxy/(CS-EPO-alumina) also enhanced, where epoxy/(CS-EPO-alumina) experienced a further increase compared to epoxy.     

Effect of CTBN rubber inclusions on the curing kinetic of DGEBA-DGEBF epoxy resin

The curing kinetics of an epoxy resin matrix, based on diglycil ether of bisphenol A and F (DGEBA-DGEBF), associated with an anhydride hardener, at different carboxyl-terminated copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile liquid rubber (CTBN) concentration (0-10 phr) are studied using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a stress-controlled rheometer in isothermal and dynamic conditions. The aim of this work is to correlate the presence of the rubber phase with the transition phenomena that occur during the curing process. The CTBN rubber induces a catalytic effect on the polymerization of the pure resin clearly observed by a significant enhancement of the curing rate. Calorimetric and rheological analysis also evidences that gelation and vitrification times take place not punctually but in a wide range of time. Rheological data show that the presence of rubbery phase induces a higher rate of gel formation during the early stages of the reactions, confirming the calorimetric results. Finally the results are compared with theoretical models evidencing a good fitting between experimental and predictive data.     

Fiber-reinforced three-dimensional graphene aerogels for electrically conductive epoxy composites with enhanced mechanical properties

To enhance the mechanical properties of three-dimensional graphene aerogels with aramid fibers,graphene/organic fiber aerogels are prepared by chemical reduction of graphene oxide in the presence of organic fibers of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)(PPTA) and followed by freeze-drying. Thermal annealing of the composite aerogels at 1300 ° C is adopted not only to restore the conductivity of the reduced graphene oxide component but also to convert the insulating PPTA organic fibers to conductive carbon fibers by the carbonization. The resultant graphene/carbon fiber aerogels(GCFAs) exhibit high electrical conductivities and enhanced compressive properties, which are highly efficient in improving both mechanical and electrical performances of epoxy composites. Compared to those of neat epoxy, the compressive modulus, compressive strength and energy absorption of the electrically conductive GCFA/epoxy composite are significantly increased by 60%, 59% and 131%, respectively.     

Improved mechanical properties of epoxy composites reinforced with surface‐treated UHMWPE fibers

The surface treatment of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene fiber using potassium permanganate and the mechanical properties of its epoxy composites were studied. After treatment, many changes were happened in the fiber surface: more O‐containing groups (―OH, ―C═O, and ―C―O groups), drastically decreased contact angles with water and ethylene glycol, slightly increased melting point and crystallinity, and formed cracks. Different contents (0.1–0.5 wt%) ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene fibers/epoxy composites were prepared. The results indicated that the surface treatment decreased the tensile strength of epoxy composites, but increased the bending strength. When the fiber content was 0.3 wt%, the above properties reached the maximum. At the same fiber content, the interlaminar shear strength of the composites was increased by 26.6% up to the as‐received fiber composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the composites suggested the storage modulus and tanδ were decreased due to the surface treatment. Fractured surface analysis confirmed that the potassium permanganate treatment was effective in improving the interface interaction.     

The effects of a silane coupling agent on curing characteristics and mechanical properties of bamboo fibre filled natural rubber composites

The effects of a silane coupling agent on curing characteristics and mechanical properties of bamboo fibre filled natural rubber composites were studied. Scorch time, t₂ and cure time, t₉₀ of the composites decrease with increasing filler loading and with the presence of a silane coupling agent, Si69. Mooney viscosity also increases with increasing filler loading but at a similar filler loading shows lower value with the presence of Si69. The mechanical properties of composites viz tensile strength, tear strength, hardness and tensile modulus were also improved with the addition of Si69.     

Synthesis, curing kinetics and thermal properties of bisphenol-AP-based benzoxazine

A novel bisphenol-AP-aniline-based benzoxazine monomer (B-AP-a) was synthesized from the reaction of 4,4′-(1-phenylethylidene) bisphenol (bisphenol-AP) with formaldehyde and aniline. The chemical structures were identified by FT-IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR analyses. The polymerization behavior of the monomer and the types of hydrogen bonding species were monitored by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and FT-IR. The curing kinetics was studied by isothermal DSC and the isothermal kinetic parameters were determined. The thermal properties of cured benzoxazine were measured by DSC and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The bisphenol-AP-aniline-based polybenzoxazine (poly(B-AP-a)) exhibited higher glass transition temperature (T_g) and better thermal stability than corresponding bisphenol A-aniline-based polybenzoxazines (poly(BA-a)). The T_g value of poly(B-AP-a) is 171 °C. The temperatures corresponding to 5% and 10% weight loss is 317 and 347 °C, respectively, and the char yield is 42.2% at 800 °C. The isothermal curing behavior of B-AP-a displayed autocatalysis and diffusion control characteristics. The modified autocatalytic model showed good agreement with experimental results.     

Glass-reinforced epoxy novolac composites

Epoxy Phenolic novolac resins were prepared from the acid catalyzed condensation products of various phenols such as phenol, p-cresol, p-tert-butyl-phenol and cardanol with formaldehyde. All of these resins have been utilized to prepare the glass-reinforced composites. The fabricated composites were evaluated for their mechanical and dielectric properties. The incorporation of an epoxy fortifier yielded a significant improvement in mechanical properties.     

Environmentally benign green composites based on epoxy resin/bacterial cellulose reinforced glass fiber: Fabrication and mechanical characteristics

Bio-based bacterial cellulose (BC) epoxy composites were manufactured and their mechanical properties were examined. The BC was initially fabricated from Vietnamese nata de coco by means of alkaline pretreatment followed by solvent exchange. The obtained fibers were dispersed in epoxy resin (EP) by both mechanical stirring and ultrasonic techniques. The resulting blend was used as the matrix for glass-fiber (GF) composite fabrication using a prepreg method followed by multiple hot-press-curing steps. The morphology, mechanical characteristics and mode-I interlaminar fracture toughness of the fabricated composites were investigated. With a 0.3-wt% BC content, the mode-I interlaminar fracture toughness for both crack initiation and crack propagation were improved by 128.8% and 1110%, respectively. The fatigue life was dramatically extended by a factor of 12, relative to the unmodified composite. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the BC plays a vital role in increasing the interlaminar fracture toughness of a GF/EP composite via the mechanisms of crack reflection, debonding and fiber-bridging.