Glass epoxy resins, cross-linked

Network properties and microscopic structures of various epoxy resins cross-linked by phenolic novolacs were investigated by Suzuki et al.97 Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) was utilized to characterize intermolecular spacing of networks and the results were compared to bulk polymer properties. The lifetimes (t3) and intensities (/3) of the active species (positronium ions) correspond to volume and number of holes which constitute the free volume in the network. Networks cured with flexible epoxies had more holes throughout the temperature range, and the space increased with temperature increases. Glass transition temperatures and thermal expansion coefficients (a) were calculated from plots of t3 versus temperature. The Tgs and thermal expansion coefficients obtained from PAS were lower titan those obtained from thermomechanical analysis. These differences were attributed to micro-Brownian motions determined by PAS versus macroscopic polymer properties determined by thermomechanical analysis. 

Polycarbonates. Currently, all audio CDs (CD-AD), all CD-ROM, and the biggest fraction of substrate disks for WORM and EOD worldwide are manufactured from a modified bisphenol A—polycarbonate (BPA-PC) (3). In 1991, some 1.3 x 10 compact disks were produced, equivalent to an annual amount of about 35,000 t BPA-PC. WORM and EOD disks are manufactured mainly from BPA-PC for sizes of 5.25 in. and below, and glass for larger form factors (eg, 12 in.), partially also from BPA-PC, and in some cases from aluminum or from cross-linked polymers (epoxy resins) (190). 

Titanium alkoxides are used for the hardening and cross-linking of epoxy, siUcon, urea, melamine, and terephthalate resins in the manufacture of noncorrodable, high temperature lacquers in the sol-gel process as water repellents and adhesive agents (especially with foils) to improve glass surfaces as catalyst in olefin polymeri2ation, and for condensation and esterification. 

A somewhat similar thing happens in many polymers at the glass-rubber transition that we mentioned in Chapter 6. Below the transition these polymers are much more brittle than above it, as you can easily demonstrate by cooling a piece of rubber or polyethylene in liquid nitrogen. (Many other polymers, like epoxy resins, have low Gc values at all temperatures simply because they are heavily cross-linked at all temperatures by covalent bonds and the material does not flow at the crack tip to cause blunting.)... 

Nowadays the major thermosetting resins used in conjunction with glass fibre reinforcement are unsaturated polyester resins and to a lesser extent epoxy resins. The most important advantages which these materials can offer are that they do not liberate volatiles during cross-linking and they can be moulded using low pressures at room temperature. Table 3.1 shows typical properties of fibre reinforced epoxy. 

Epoxy resins (di-phenolic chains) are closely related to phenol formaldehydes and are widely used to make reinforced composites with glass or carbon reinforcing fibers. Their monomers are cross-linked at lower temperatures than phenolic formaldehydes. Typical hardnesses for them are Hv = 4.4kg/mm2 (Olivier, et al., 2008). 

Cross-Linked Polymers. In the 1980s, not only glass and BPA-PC but also uv-curable cross-linked polymers, eg, epoxy resins, were used as substrate material for optical mass storage disks with laige diameters (12 in., 14 in.) (219). The epoxy resins consisted of compounds containing one or several highly reactive epoxy or hydroxyl groups. The common epoxy resins (EP) mainly are reaction products of bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin ... 

The most important polymeric matrices are linear and cross-linked polyesters, epoxy resins and linear and cross-linked polyimides the most important reinforcements are high-performance polymeric fibres and filaments (for polymeric composites), filaments of refractory metals and inorganic materials (E-glass, A12C>3, B, BN, SiC and Carbon) and whiskers (fibrillar single crystals of A1203, B4C, WC, SiC and C, exclusively for reinforcement of metals). 

The thermoset acrylics (20) of major importance in the coating industry, in recent years, have been developed primarily by Canadian Industry Ltd. and by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. in this country (4). Raw materials are acrylamide, acrylic acid, acrylates, and styrene. Cross-linking agents are amino and epoxy resins. The materials are also self-cross-linking. They are usually sold as solutions in paint solvents. 

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