Epoxy system

A mixture of unsaturated polyester resin with ca. 45 wt% of styrene (Polylite P51383, Reichhold), methyl ethyl ketone peroxide as initiator 

---

In the freeboard areas, commercial ships use organic 2inc-rich primers extensively and usually topcoat them with a two- or three-coat epoxy system. U.S. Navy ships use an organic 2inc-rich primer, two to three coats of an epoxy-polyamide coatings, and a siUcone-alkyd topcoat (16) the entire dry system is 150—225 )J.m thick. 

Tanl . Coatings for Hquid cargo tanks ate selected according to the materials that the tanks (qv) ate to contain. Tank coatings protect the cargo from contamination and must be compatible with the material carried. Epoxy systems ate most frequendy selected because they perform well with both aqueous and organic products. A carefully appHed three-coat epoxy system having a dry-film thickness of 225—300 pm can be expected to last for 12 years. 

Diluents are commonly used to reduce the viscosity of epoxy systems to aid handling, improve ease of appHcation, and to faciUtate higher filler loa ding to reduce formulation cost. This, however, is achieved at the expense of other properties. To achieve a balance of properties, careful selection of diluent is needed. Table 1 quaUtatively shows which diluent should be considered for minimal deterioration of properties. 

Polynuclear Phenol—Glycidyl Ether-Derived Resins. This is one of the first commercially available polyfunctional products. Its polyfunctionahty permits upgrading of thermal stabiUty, chemical resistance, and electrical and mechanical properties of bisphenol A—epoxy systems. It is used in mol ding compounds and adhesives. 

In addition to electrical uses, epoxy casting resins are utilized in the manufacture of tools, ie, contact and match molds, stretch blocks, vacuum-forrning tools, and foundry patterns, as weU as bench tops and kitchen sinks. Systems consist of a gel-coat formulation designed to form a thin coating over the pattern which provides a perfect reproduction of the pattern detail. This is backed by a heavily filled epoxy system which also incorporates fiber reinforcements to give the tool its strength. For moderate temperature service, a Hquid bisphenol A epoxy resin with an aHphatic amine is used. For higher temperature service, a modified system based on an epoxy phenol novolak and an aromatic diamine hardener may be used. 

The most common aerospace adhesives include nitrile epoxy systems, epoxy polyamides, epoxy phenolics, and various unmodified epoxies [18]. Polyimides... 

Advantages of the epoxy systems are the absence of solvent, UV initiated cure that does not require inerting, a wide range of release levels possible and excellent anchorage to film. Disadvantages include cure inhibition on basic substrates and the need to carefully balance formulation cure speed and completeness with release properties. 

Silicone acrylate technology, while known since the 1970s [68], has been applied to release coatings more recently [69]. Both homopolymerization of multifunctional silicone acrylates and copolymerization with organic acrylates is practiced [22,70]. Examples of blended systems will be deferred to the next section, understanding that an increase in the non-silicone component acts to increase the release level, analogous to the epoxy system described above. 

Silicone acrylates (Fig. 5) are again lower molecular weight base polymers that contain multiple functional groups. As in epoxy systems, the ratio of PDMS to functional material governs properties of release, anchorage, transfer, cure speed, etc. Radiation induced radical cure can be initiated with either exposure of photo initiators and sensitizers to UV light [22,46,71 ] or by electron beam irradiation of the sample. 

Advantages are similar to the epoxy system, in that these can be solventless and do not require thermal energy. Disadvantages unique to this system, however, include the need to inert the cure chamber to avoid air-inhibition of cure as well as some release instability with acrylate adhesives [72]. 

Elastomers, plastics, fabrics, wood and metals can be joined with themselves and with each other using nitrile rubber/epoxy resin blends cured with amines and/or acidic agents. Ethylene-propylene vulcanizates can also be joined using blends of carboxylated nitrile rubber, epoxy resin and a reactive metal filler (copper, nickel, cobalt). However, one of the largest areas of use of nitrile rubber modified epoxy systems is in the printed circuit board area [12]. 

Materials and additives that are chemically basic in nature have a detrimental effect on the curing of cationic-initiated epoxy systems. These substances can either stop the curing mechanism completely or produce under-cured polymers. Therefore such additives as amines or imides that are known to be adhesion promoters cannot be used in the EB-curable epoxy adhesive formulations. 

When metal inserts require hermetic sealing, consider coating them with a flexible elastomer such as an RTV rubber, polyurethane, or epoxy system. A second method is to design an annular space or reservoir at one end of the insert from which to dispense the flexible elastomers to effectively create a hermetic seal. Flexible sealants are also used to compensate for differences in the thermal coefficient of expansion between metal and plastic. 

Siloxane containing interpenetrating networks (IPN) have also been synthesized and some properties were reported 59,354 356>. However, they have not received much attention. Preparation and characterization of IPNs based on PDMS-polystyrene 354), PDMS-poly(methyl methacrylate) 354), polysiloxane-epoxy systems 355) and PDMS-polyurethane 356) were described. These materials all displayed two-phase morphologies, but only minor improvements were obtained over the physical and mechanical properties of the parent materials. This may be due to the difficulties encountered in controlling the structure and morphology of these IPN systems. Siloxane modified polyamide, polyester, polyolefin and various polyurethane based IPN materials are commercially available 59). Incorporation of siloxanes into these systems was reported to increase the hydrolytic stability, surface release, electrical properties of the base polymers and also to reduce the surface wear and friction due to the lubricating action of PDMS chains 59). 

FIGURE 11.23 Advancement of the cure reactions for different base epoxy and rubber-epoxy systems. (From Dispenza, C., Carter, J.T., McGrail, P.T., and Spadaro, G., Polym. Eng. Sci., 41, 1483, 2001.)... 

---