Polymer morphology, epoxy thermoplastics

Olmos D and Gonzalez-Benito J (2007) Visualization of the morphology at the interphase of glass fibre reinforced epoxy-thermoplastic polymer composites, Europ Polym J 43 1487-1500. 

Hed Hedrick, J. L., Yilgor, I., Jurek, M., Hedrick. J. C., Wilkes, G. L., McGrath, J. E. Chemical modification of matrix resin networks with engineering thermoplastics 1. Synthesis, morphology, physical behaviour and toughening mechanisms of poly (arylene ether sulfone) modified epoxy networks. Polymer 32 (1991) 2020-2032. 

Polymer Morphology. Most epoxy thermoplastics are amorphous, glassy polymers with glass transition temperatures (Tg) that range from about 25 °C to over 200 °C (5,5). As is the case with all thermoplastics, Tg in polymers 2, 3 and 5-7 are heavily... 

Because the components must initially form miscible solutions or swollen networks a degree of affinity between the reacting components is needed. Therefore, most of the investigations into epoxy IPNs have involved the use of partially miscible components such as thermoplastic urethanes (TPU) with polystyrenes [57], acrylates [58-61] or esters which form loose hydrogen-bound mixtures during fabrication [62-71 ]. Epoxy has also been modified with polyetherketones [72],polyether sulfones [5] and even polyetherimides [66] to help improve fracture behavior. These systems, due to immiscibility, tend to be polymer blends with distinct macromolecular phase morphologies and not molecularly mixed compounds. 

Asi Asif, A., Rao, V. L., Saseendran, V., Ninan, K. N. Thermoplastic toughened layered silicate epoxy ternary nanocomposites - Preparation, morphology, and thermomechanical properties. Polym. Eng. Sci. 49 (2009) 756-767. 

Ale Alessi, S., Conduruta, D., Pitarresi, G., Dispenza, C., Spadaro, G. Accelerated ageing due to moisture absorption of thermally cured epoxy resin/polyethersulphone blends Thermal, mechanical and morphological behaviour. Polym. Degradation Stability 96 (2011) 642-648. llAsi Asif, A., Rao, V. L., Ninan, K. N. Preparation, characterization, thermo-mechanical, and barrier properties of exfoliated thermoplastic toughened epoxy clay ternary nanocomposites. Polym. Adv. Technol. 22 (2011) 437 47. 

Rivera I, Martin D and TTuSS R (2006) Viscoelastic studies on thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites using a nano-hardness tester, J Polym Eng 26 903-918. Shell L, Wang L, Liu T and He C (2006) Nanoindeutatiou and morphological studies of epoxy nanocoinposites, Macromol Mater Eng 291 1358—1366. 

Guo Q, Figueiredo P, Thomann R, Gronski W. Phase behavior, morphology and interfacial structure in thermoset/thermoplastic elastomer blends of polyfpropylene glycol)-type epoxy resin and polystyrene-b-polybutadiene. Polymer 2001 42 10101-10. 

---