This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Open AccessArticle
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Resin upon Addition of Low-Viscosity Modifier
by
Yingnan Wang
Yingnan Wang
and
Pierre Mertiny
Pierre Mertiny *
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2024, 16(17), 2403; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16172403 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 2 July 2024
/
Revised: 12 August 2024
/
Accepted: 19 August 2024
/
Published: 24 August 2024
Abstract
Thermoset-based polymer composites containing functional fillers are promising materials for a variety of applications, such as in the aerospace and medical fields. However, the resin viscosity is often unsuitably high and thus impedes a successful filler dispersion in the matrix. This challenge can be overcome by incorporating suitable low-viscosity modifiers into the prepolymer. While modifiers can aptly influence the prepolymer rheology, they can also affect the prepolymer curing behavior and the mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting matrix material. Therefore, this study investigates the effects that a commercial-grade low-viscosity additive (butyl glycidyl ether) has on a common epoxy polymer system (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy with a methylene dianiline curative). The weight percentage of the modifier inside the epoxy was varied from 0 to 20%. The rheological properties and cure kinetics of the resulting materials were investigated. The prepolymer viscosity decreased by 97% with 20 wt% modifier content at room temperature. Upon curing, 20 wt% modifier addition reduced the exothermic peak temperature by 12% and prolonged the time to reach the peak by 60%. For cured material samples, physical and thermo-mechanical properties were characterized. A moderate reduction in glass transition temperature and an increase in elastic modulus was observed with 20 wt% modifier content (in the order of 10%). Based on these findings, the selected material system is seen as an expedient base for material design due to the ease of processing and material availability. The present study thus provides guidance to researchers developing polymer composites requiring reduced prepolymer viscosity for successful functional filler addition.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Wang, Y.; Mertiny, P.
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Resin upon Addition of Low-Viscosity Modifier. Polymers 2024, 16, 2403.
https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16172403
AMA Style
Wang Y, Mertiny P.
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Resin upon Addition of Low-Viscosity Modifier. Polymers. 2024; 16(17):2403.
https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16172403
Chicago/Turabian Style
Wang, Yingnan, and Pierre Mertiny.
2024. "Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Resin upon Addition of Low-Viscosity Modifier" Polymers 16, no. 17: 2403.
https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16172403
Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details
here.
Article Metrics
Article Access Statistics
For more information on the journal statistics, click
here.
Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.