Flexural modulus epoxides

Multifunctional POSS, containing four epoxide groups on the periphery, copolymerized with aliphatic diepoxides and an amine-curing agent increased and broadened the Tg, increased the tensile modulus, but lowered the flexural modulus over that of the neat epoxy resin [2] (Fig. 3). 

In a more recent work, MWNTs have been incorporated into surface-modified, reactive P(St-co-GMA) nanofibres by electrospinning. Then resulting nanofibres have been functionalised with epoxide groups and added to the epoxy matrix producing reinforced epoxy resins. The polymer composites have demonstrated over a 20% increase in flexural modulus, when compared with neat epoxy, despite a very low composite fibre weight fraction (at approximately 0.2% by a single-layer fibrous mat). The increase is attributed to the combined effect of the well-dispersed MWNTs and the surface chemistry of the electrospun fibres that enabled an effective cross-linking between the polymer matrix and the nanofibres. 

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