Non-isothermal cure and exfoliation of tri-functional epoxy-clay nanocomposites

The non-isothermal cure kinetics of polymer silicate layered nanocomposites based on a tri-functional epoxy resin has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. From an analysis of the kinetics as a function of the clay content, it can be concluded that the non-isothermal cure reaction...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: F. Shiravand, J. M. Hutchinson, Y. Calventus
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Budapest University of Technology and Economics 2015-08-01
Series:eXPRESS Polymer Letters
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Online Access:http://www.expresspolymlett.com/letolt.php?file=EPL-0005971&mi=cd
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Summary:The non-isothermal cure kinetics of polymer silicate layered nanocomposites based on a tri-functional epoxy resin has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. From an analysis of the kinetics as a function of the clay content, it can be concluded that the non-isothermal cure reaction can be considered to consist of four different processes: the reaction of epoxy groups with the diamine curing agent; an intra-gallery homopolymerisation reaction which occurs concurrently with the epoxy-amine reaction; and two extra-gallery homopolymerisation reactions, catalysed by the onium ion of the organically modified clay and by the tertiary amines resulting from the epoxy-amine reaction. The final nanostructure displays a similar quality of exfoliation as that observed for the isothermal cure of the same nanocomposite system. This implies that the intra-gallery reaction, which is responsible for the exfoliation, is not significantly inhibited by the extra-gallery epoxy-amine cross-linking reaction.
ISSN:1788-618X