Epoxy resin chemical structure

The degradation of the matrix in a moist environment strongly dominates the material response properties under temperature, humidity, and stress fatigue tests. The intrinsic moisture sensitivity of the epoxy matrices arises directly from the resin chemical structure, such as the presence of hydrophilic polar and hydrogen grouping, as well as from microscopic defects of the network structure, such as heterogeneous crosslinking densities. 

The rate of cure is temperature dependent and many formulations stop curing altogether below a temperature of about 5 °C. If carefully formulated the change in volume between the uncured resin-hardener system and the fully cured polymer can be very low. This property, together with their relatively high strength and claimed resistance to moisture and chemical attack, forms the basis of the use of epoxy resins as structural adhesives. 

Structural Composites. Because of their exceUent adhesion, good mechanical, humidity, and chemical-resistance properties, epoxy resins are... 

In planning cathodic protection, the specific resistivity of the water, the size of the surfaces to be protected and the required protection current densities have to be determined. The protection current density depends on the type and quality of the coating. Thermosetting resins (e.g., tar-epoxy resin coatings) are particularly effective and are mostly used today on coastal structures. They are chemically... 

The intrinsic moisture sensitivity of the epoxy resins is traceable directly to the molecular structure. The presence of polar and hydrogen bonding groups, such as hydroxyls, amines, sulfones and tertiary nitrogen provides the chemical basis for moisture sensitivity, while the available free volume and nodular network structure represent its physical aspect. 

Epoxy resins find a large number of uses because of their remarkable chemical resistance and good adhesion. Epoxy resins are excellent structural adhesives. When properly cured, epoxy resins can yield very tough materials. They are used in industrial floorings, foams, potting materials for electrical insulations, etc. One of the principal constituents in many of the Fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) is an epoxy polymer. 

Bisphenols is a broad term that includes many chemicals with the common chemical structure of two phenolic rings joined together by a bridging carbon. Bisphenol A is a monomer widely used in the manufacture of epoxy and phenolic resins, polycarbonates, polyacrylates and corrosion-resistant unsaturated polyester-styrene resins. It can be found in a diverse range of products, including the interior coatings of food cans and filters, water containers, dental composites and sealants. [4]. BPA and BP-5 were selected for testing by the whole... 

In this paper, the effect of temperature and concentration on corrosion behavior and corrosion mechanism of epoxy and unsaturated polyester resins in NaOH solution were studied, and were discussed by considering their chemical structures. Corrosion rate studies were also made by applying the concept of metallic corrosion. 

Figure 1. Chemical structures of epoxy and unsaturated polyester resins.

For quality cured thermoset resins, approximately one percent of the mass is soluble when subjected to long-term leaching with tetrahydrofuran. Equilibrium is approached in two weeks resin swell is not visually noticeable. The monomeric, chemical structures are such that the hydrocarbon resins exhibit more pronounced viscoelastic properties whereas, the epoxy resins are similar to elastic bodies when subjected to tensile testing at room temperature. Therein, LRF 216 is less sensitive to flaws and is more nonlinear in tensile or compressive stress-strain analysis. 

This paper rerports an investigation of the yield behavior of several amine and anhydride cured DGEBA resin systems. The Argon theory is used to assess the controlling molecular parameters from the experimental results. Such parameters are then compared with the known chemical structures of the resins. The mechanisms of plastic flow in thermoset polymers such as epoxies is demonstrated. 

Materials Description. Three CIBA-GEIGY epoxy/hardener systems were studied Araldite 6010/906, Araldite 6010/HY 917 and Araldite 6010/972 with stoichiometries 100/80, 100/80 and 100/27, respectively. Araldite 6010 was a DGEBA epoxy resin. The hardeners 906, HY 917 and 972 were, respectively, methyl nadic anhydride (MNA), methyltetrahydro phthalic anhydride (MTPHA) and methylene dianiline (MDA). These systems were investigated previously for the matrix controlled fracture in composites (6-8). The curing cycles used can be found in (6). The ideal chemical structures of the systems are shown in Table I. Neat resins were thoroughly degassed and cast into 1.27 cm thick plates for preparation of test specimens. 

Ozonization of lignin forms derivatives of muconic acid that have the unique chemical structure of conjugated double bonds with two carboxyl groups. These derivatives have great potential for chemical modification. The ozonized lignin of white birch was soluble in epoxy resin at 120°C, and the free carboxyl groups were found to react with epoxide. This paper discusses developmental work on the preparation of pre-reacted ozonized lignin/epoxy resins the dynamic mechanical properties of cured resins and preliminary results of the application of these resins as wood adhesives. 

Inertness The cured epoxy resins are chemically inert. The ether groups and benzene rings are virtually non-vulnerable to caustic attack and are extremely resistant to acids. Chemical inertness of an epoxy resin is enhanced by the dense and closely packed structure which is extremely resistant to solvent action. 

Considering both the chemistry of epoxy resins and the reactants required to produce it, impurities, unreacted raw materials, catalyst and other monomeric species can be expected to be present in the resin in low levels (i.e. <100 ppm). Under the mechanical, thermal and chemical stress levels acting at the interface both during curing and after curing, concentration of these species at the interface could be quite high giving rise to an interface structure unrelated to the bulk. 

It is clear that other components quite different chemically from the main constituents of the epoxy resin system may be present in the starting material. The structure of the cured epoxy may or may not incorporate these components. To the extent that these other species are not part of the crosslinked epoxy network, they can be concentrated at the interphase or they may be able to migrate to the interphase during the curing process. 

The value of the epoxy resins lies in their reactivity with a variety of chemical groups. This enhanced reactivity also means that the surface chemistry of the reinforcement which the epoxies are cured against, can alter the local structure in the interphase regionJl). The most common reinforcement surfaces cured in contact with the epoxies are carbon/graphite fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers and metal oxides. The surface chemistry of these reinforcement surfaces is quite diverse and in many cases can be the reason for alteration of the interphase epoxy structure as compared to the bulk. 

The analysis of epoxy resins has been a particular challenge for the polymer chemist because of the complexity of the repeating units. The multitude of comonomers, the number and type of initiators, the variety of possible polymerization reactions, the insoluble nature of the product and the susceptibility of the network to hydrolysis and other types of chemical attack. Consequently there has been little knowledge of the structural basis of the physical, chemical and ultimate mechanical properties of the epoxy resins. However, it is essential that knowledge of the structures and curing processes be obtained in order to optimize the performance of the epoxy resins. 

We have already discussed the possibility of changes in fractional free-volume being related to the physical structure of polymers. To show this in greater detail, a special study was made102. Hie viscoelastic properties and relaxation time spectra were studied in a filled system where a powder of hardened epoxy resin was used as the filler and the same epoxy resin as the matrix. Thus the system was identical from the chemical point of view, the only difference being in die method of preparation. 

The molecular structure of epoxy/metal interphases in the presence of an amino coupling agent was studied by Boerio and co-workers [28] by IR and by XPS. The formation of amide and imide groups in the interphase provided evidence of chemical reaction between the silane primer and the curing agent for epoxy resin. 

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