Title: Thermal and mechanical characterisation of intercalated epoxy nanocomposites

Authors: O. Becker, G. Simon, R. Varley, Y. Cheng, J. Hodgkin

Addresses: School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. CSIRO Molecular Science, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. CSIRO Molecular Science, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia

Abstract: Intercalated epoxy-layered silicate nanocomposites have been prepared using epoxy resins of varying functionalities. Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), triglycidyl p-amino phenol (TGAP) and tetraglycidyl diamino diphenylmethane (TGDDM) were mixed with 2.5–10 wt.-% of an organophilic modified layered silicate and cured with diethyltoluene diamine. The d-spacing of the layered silicates in the cured resin system was determined by wide angle X-ray analysis. The catalytic influence of the clay on the bifunctional DGEBA system was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) was used to investigate the glass transition temperatures of the three different resin systems and therefore the changes in the network structure as a result of the incorporation of the clay content. Fracture measurements showed an increasing toughness of the nanocomposites with increasing clay content in all systems.

Keywords: DGEBA; layered silicates; nanocomposites; TGAP; TGDDM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2003.002506

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2003 Vol.19 No.3/4, pp.199-217

Published online: 19 Jul 2003 *

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