Synthesis and properties of epoxy resin networks containing polyethylene oxide unites

Epoxy resins are thermosetting resins, which are cured using a wide variety of curing agents via curing reactions. Their properties depend on the specific combination of the type of epoxy resins and curing agents used.1 Because of their excellent mechanical properties, high adhesiveness to many substrates, and good heat and chemical resistances, currently epoxy resins are intensively used across a wide range of fields, where they act as fiber-reinforced materials, general-purpose adhesives, high-performance coatings, and encapsulating materials.2,3 In this study, three epoxy thermosetting materials possessing polyethylene oxide units are prepared starting from polyethylene glycol. To improve the mechanical strength of the epoxy materials, alongside the flexible units of polyethylene oxide, rigid aromatic and alicyclic moieties arised from two popular monomers are also present into the structures obtained. Thus, epoxide-functionalized polyethylene oxide (EFPEG) and/or diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) are cured by amine-functionalized polyethylene oxide (AFPEG) and/or isophorone diamine (IPDA) in various proportions while keeping the stoichiometry of the epoxy/amino hydrogen groups constant (table 1). The samples were characterized by the FTIR spectral analysis and thermal behaviour of the cured samples was evaluated with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

Keywords:

Epoxy thermoset , Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A , Diglycidyl ether of polyethylene oxide , Isophorone diamine , amine-functionalized polyethylene oxide.