| Abstract: | Low molecular weight liquid rubber (ATBN = amine terminated butadiene acrylonitrile copolymer or CTBN = carboxyl terminated butadiene acrylonitrile copolymer)–DGEBA (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A) blends indicated upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behavior. The phase separation behavior of the neat and crosslinked rubber (ATBN, CTBN)–epoxy blends was analyzed by a laser light scattering experiment. Lauryl peroxide (LPO) was employed to crosslink the rubber during the initial annealing stage. The onset point of the phase separation in the crosslinked ATBN–epoxy system occurred later than in the case of the neat ATBN–epoxy system. However, the onset point of the phase separation process started earlier in the case of the crosslinked CTBN–epoxy system. The domain correlation length of the crosslinked rubber-added system was smaller than that of the neat rubber-added system. |
