Toughened epoxy resins cured by electron beam radiation

Christopher J. Janke, George F. Dorsey, Stephen J. Havens, Vincent J. Lopata

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Preliminary research has determined that conventional epoxy resins can be cured by exposure to Electron Beam (EB) radiation as provided by a high energy/power electron beam accelerator to provide materials with high glass transition temperatures and mechanical properties comparable to thermally cured epoxies. A cationic photoinitiator at a concentration of 1-3 parts per hundred of the epoxy resin is required for this process. However, these materials tend to be brittle. In order to increase the fracture toughness (KIC) of the EB cured materials, a variety of toughening agents were incorporated into the epoxy resin/photoinitiator blend in concentrations ranging from 5-30 percent. High molecular weight thermoplastics such as Udel P-1700, Radel A-200, and Ultem 1000 and hydroxy-terminated polysulfone oligomers nearly doubled KIC with no reduction in glass transition temperature. Viscosities of the thermoplastic/epoxy resin/photoinitiator blends were extremely high. Reactive flexibilizers and rubbers also provided tougher materials, but sometimes with reduction in glass transition temperature. For example, a blend of 10 percent Shell Kraton FG 1901 X (a maleic anhydride terminated SEBS copolymer) with Dow Tactix 123 (bisphenol A epoxy) containing 3 phr (4-octyloxyphenyl) phenyliodonium hexafluoroantimonate was irradiated at a total dosage of 150 kGy. Glass transition temperature (tan delta) of the cured material was 171 °C and the KIC was 0.92 MPa·m 1/2 .

Original languageEnglish
Pages877-889
Number of pages13
StatePublished - 1996
EventProceedings of the 1996 28th International SAMPE Technical Conference - Seattle, WA, USA
Duration: Nov 4 1996Nov 7 1996

Conference

ConferenceProceedings of the 1996 28th International SAMPE Technical Conference
CitySeattle, WA, USA
Period11/4/9611/7/96

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