Toughened Thermoset Resins

Rowe, E. H., Fractography of Thermoset Resins Toughened with Hycar... 

R. Siebert, "Rubber-Modified Thermoset Resins," in C. K. Riew and J. K. GiUham, eds., ACS Advances in Chemistry Series 208, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1983, p. 179 W. D. Bascom and D. L. Hunston, "Rubber Toughened Plastic," Adv. Chem. Ser. No. 222, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1989. 

Thermosets are generally used in advanced composites due to their excellent thermal and dimensional stability, high modulus, and good mechanical properties. Because thermoset resins are inherently brittle, however, some applications require improved fracture resistance. Toughening of thermosets has been achieved through various methods, such as incorporation of reactive liquid rubber [1-9], elastomer [10], or rigid thermoplastics [11-25], and IPN formation with ductile component [26]. 

Both thermoset and thermoplastic resins and CF composites have been examined using microhardness techniques. The thermoset resin used was an epoxy, both with and without PA6 particles that served as a toughening agent. 

He has edited or co-edited several volumes in the ACS Advances in Chemistiy Series Rubber-Modified Thermoset Resins, Volume 208 (1984) Rubber-Toughened Plastics, Volume 222 (1989) Toughened Plastics I Science and Engineering., Volume 233 (1993) and the current volume. 

The importance of the science and engineering of toughened plastics is reflected in the successful series of symposia held on the topic under the auspices of the American Chemical Society. The first, on Rubber-Modified Thermoset Resins, was held in Washington, DC, in 1983 the papers from that conference were published in 1984 as Volume 208 of the Advances in Chemistry Series. The theme of the 1988 symposium, Rubber-Toughened Plastics, was broadened to cover both thermosets and thermoplastics. The papers from that symposium, held in New Orleans, LA, were published in 1989 as Volume 222 of the Advances in Chemistry Series. In 1990 the symposium returned to Washington, DC, and was titled Toughened Plastics Science and Engineering. The papers were published in 1993 as Volume 233 of the Advances in Chemistry Series. 

Developing biphasic materials in order to improve the fracture toughness of thermoset resins is now a common practice. Thermoplastics that have a high glass-transition temperature (Tg) are used as tougheners in preference to low-Tg elastomers because of their insignificant effect on the thermal and modulus properties. 

Linear elastic fracture mechanics studies on toughened brittle plastics at room temperature concentrated on thermosetting resins, which have sufficiently high yield stresses to meet the requirements of Eq. 12.7. There has been increasing emphasis on ductile fracture mechanics in testing the toughened thermoplastics. An alternative approach is to determine the parameter, Jj, which is the quantity corresponding to Gj in linear elastic fracture mechanics, as discussed below. 

Hence a low molecular weight, reactive elastomer is normally used for impact modification of thermosets. The low molecular weight of the mbbery prepolymer aids its easy dissolution or dispersability in the thermosetting resin. The reactive functionality couples the rubber covalentiy to the growing polymer network during the curing reaction. Hence the rubber toughened thermosets may also be considered as co-reacted thermosets and not true blends. 

As technology advances, materials have been developed which evade the above classification. Mixtures of thermoplastics and thermosetting resins have been developed in which the thermoplastics material acts as a toughening agent for the thermosetting resin. Alloys or blends of two or more thermoplastics, or of plastics and rubbers, are becoming commonplace. 

Wu Wu, H., Xu, J., Liu, Y., Heiden, P. Investigation of readily processable thermoplastic-toughened thermosets. V. Epoxy resin toughened with hyperbranched polyester. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 72 (1999) 151-163. 

Lu, J. and Wool, R.P. (2008) Additive toughening effects on new bio-based thermosetting resins from plant oils. Composites Science and Technology, 68(3-4), 1025-1033. 

The additives that are usually added to thermoset resin systems to improve the flame-retardant features and toughness of network polymers are known as flame retardants and toughening agents (or flexibilisers ), respectively. The design of such additives to make a high-performance resin have been investigated extensively in recent years, and are discussed separately in subsequent chapters. 

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