Reaction mechanisms, microstructure, and fracture properties of thermoplastic polysulfone-modified epoxy resin

Journal Article · Wed Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Applied Polymer Science; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/app.1993.070500615· OSTI ID:5626314

Min, B G; Stachurski, Z H ^[1]; Hodgkin, J H ^[2]

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1. Monash Univ., Clayton, Victoria (Australia). Dept. of Materials Engineering
2. CSIRO, Clayton, Victoria (Australia). Div. of Chemicals and Polymers

The microstructure and fracture properties of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resins modified with phenolic hydroxyl-terminated polysulfone (PSF) and cured with diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) hardener have been investigated as a function of the molecular weight and concentration of PSF. The microstructure changed from a typical particulate structure to a phase-inverted structure as the molecular weight and/or the concentration of the modifier increased. The fracture toughness, measured by compact tension tests, increased with the microstructural changes toward the phase-inverted structure. The level of minor reactions such as etherification and homopolymerization reactions increased with increasing molecular weight and/or concentration of the modifier, in line with the tendencies observed in microstructure and fracture toughness. In the system containing 20 wt% of M[sub n] 10,000 PSF, about 30% of the epoxy groups were consumed by etherification and homopolymerization reactions, whereas none of these reactions occurred in the unmodified system. The increase in minor reactions in the modified systems may be to be due to the restricted molecular mobility, resulting from the increase of system viscosity caused by the modification.

• OSTI ID: 5626314
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Polymer Science; (United States), Vol. 50:6; ISSN 0021-8995
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
RESINS
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
MICROSTRUCTURE
EPOXIDES
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLYMERS
360602* - Other Materials- Structure & Phase Studies
360603 - Materials- Properties