Failure adhesive epoxy resin

Adhesives based on hydrolysis resistant chemistry (i.e., adhesives D and E) show a high retention of initial properties after exposure to an aggressive corrosion environment and the failure occurs cohesively within the adhesive. The cure reactions of these adhesives involve the formation of hydrolysis resistant carbon-nitrogen bonds in reactions involving the free N-H functionality of the Versamid or Genamid hardener with the oxirane functionality of the epoxy resin that is present in the adhesive formulation ... 

Polymerized epoxy adhesives are amorphous and highly crosslinked materials. This microstructure results in many useful properties such as high modulus and failure strength, low creep, and good chemical and heat resistance. However, the structure of epoxy resins also leads to one undesirable property—they are relatively brittle materials. As such, epoxy adhesives tend to have poor resistance to crack initiation and growth, which results in poor impact and peel properties. In sealant formulations, epoxy resins do not often provide the degree of elongation or movement that is required for many applications. 

Polyfunctional mercaptoester chelators have been synthesized and evaluated as potential coupling agents for the adhesion of epoxy resins to steel. The adhesive systems were evaluated by subjecting torsional joints to shear failure after accelerated immersion testing in distilled water. 

Figure 2 shows fracture surfaces for bonds between zinc and rubber-toughened epoxy resin (see Toughened adhesives). In Fig. 2(a), there is a region of cohesive failure within the resin the sites of bubbles, which may have initiated the fracture, can be seen. In Fig. 2(b), a piece of resin is seen adhering to what appears to be the bare zinc substrate. 

Structural adhesives such as epoxy resins can be treated as any rigid polymer and samples can be machined from cast sheets to produce test-pieces. These can then be used to measure typical tensile properties such as failure stress and strain. Using accurate exten-sometry, it is possible to characterize completely the uniaxial properties of an adhesive. The Creep of adhesive joints is especially important for structural adhesives maintained at high temperature. It is possible to determine the creep resistance of such materials by applying suitable loads at an appropriate temperature to samples of the adhesive, and to record the deformation with time. From such data, it will soon be evident if the adhesive is suitable for use or if it will cause a joint to deform with time. It is important to remember that humidity is likely to affect the properties of the adhesive, and in a long-term creep experiment, the humidity could cause premature failure. 

FIGURE 8. As Figure 7 but for an epoxy resin above its glass transition temperature (a) cohesive failure, (b) adhesive failure from an aluminum substrate. 

FIGURE 9. Adhesive failure energy vs. rate curves for an epoxy resin from a titanium substrate after aqueous immersion at 80 °C for 120 h at different pH values. 

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