Electrical and positron annihilation study on epoxy and epoxy acrylate composites

Epoxy acrylate resin was prepared by endcapping the acrylic acid to epoxy resin backbone in the presence of triphenyl phosphene as catalyst. The structure was elucidated by IR and NMR spectroscopy. Epoxy and epoxy acrylate composites were prepared by mixing different concentrations of mica, magnesium hydroxide and calcium silicate with each epoxy/hardener and epoxy acrylate/styrene mixtures, respectively. The permittivity ε′, dielectric loss ε′′ and loss tangent tan δ were measured for these composites in the frequency range (10²-10⁶ Hz) and at 30 °C. The data obtained were analyzed into two absorption regions related to Maxwell-Wagner effect and to some local molecular motions rather than the main chain motion. The higher values of ε′ and the lower values of tan δ given for the composites containing the epoxy acrylate resin indicate some improvement in the dielectric properties when compared with those containing the epoxy resin. The effect of filler type and filler content on the positron annihilation lifetime and its intensity as well as S-parameter for epoxy and epoxy acrylate composites were also studied. The high values of S-parameter noticed by with increasing filler content indicates some increase in free electrons which lead to an increase in electrical conductivity. The highest value of hardness was obtained in the case of calcium silicate followed by mica and magnesium hydroxide.