A new homologous series of curing agents (LCECAn) containing 4,4′-biphenyl and n-methylene units (n = 2, 4, 6) were successfully synthesized. The curing behaviors of a commercial diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy (E-51) and 4,4′-bis(2,3-epoxypropoxy)biphenyl (LCE) by using LCECAn as the curing agent have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. The Ozawa equation was applied to the curing kinetics based upon the dynamic DSC data, and the isothermal DSC data were fitted using an autocatalytic curing model. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the cured epoxy systems were determined by DSC upon the second heating, and the thermal decomposition temperatures (Td) were obtained by thermogravimetric (TG) analyses. The results show that the number of methylene units in LCECAn has little influence on the curing temperatures of E-51/LCECAn and LCE/LCECAn systems. In addition, the activation energies obtained by the dynamic method proved to be larger than those by the isothermal method. Furthermore, both the Tg and Td of the cured E-51/LCECAn systems and LCE/LCECAn systems decreased with the increase in the number of methylene units in LCECAn.
1. Zhang, B-L, Tang, G-L, Shi, K-Y, You, Y-C, Du, Z-J, Yang, J-F, Huang, J 2000 A study on properties of epoxy resin toughened by functionalized polymer containing rigid, rod-like moiety. Eur Polym J 36:205–213 .
2. He, S, Shi, K, Bai, J, Zhang, Z, Li, L, Du, Z, Zhang, B 2001 Studies on the properties of epoxy resins modified with chain-extended ureas. Polymer 42:9641–9647 .
3. He, SJ, Shi, KY, Guo, XZ, Du, ZJ, Zhang, BL 2009 Properties of methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride-cured epoxy resin modified with MITU. Polym Adv Technol 20:130–134 .
4. Zhang, B-L, Tang, G-L, Shi, K-Y, You, Y-C, Du, Z-J, Huang, J-F 1999 A study on the properties of epoxy resin toughened by a liquid crystal-type oligomer. J Appl Polym Sci 71:177–184 .
5. Ma, S, Liu, W, Su, Q, Liu, Y 2010 Studies on the thermal properties of epoxy resins modified with two kinds of silanes. J Macromol Sci: Phys 49:43–56 .
6. Villanueva, M, Fraga, I, Rodríguez-Añón, J, Proupín-Castiñeiras, J 2009 Study of the influence of a reactive diluent on the rheological properties of an epoxy-diamine system. J Therm Anal Calorim 98:521–525 .
7. Villanueva, M, Martín-Iglesias, J, Rodríguez-Añón, J, Proupín-Castiñeiras, J 2009 Thermal study of an epoxy system DGEBA (n = 0)/mXDA modified with POSS. J Therm Anal Calorim 96:575–582 .
8. López, J, Rico, M, Montero, B, Díez, J, Ramírez, C 2009 Polymer blends based on an epoxy-amine thermoset and a thermoplastic. J Therm Anal Calorim 95:369–376 .
9. Yousefi, A, Lafleur, PG, Gauvin, R 1997 Kinetic studies of thermoset cure reactions: a review. Polym Compos 18:157–168 .
10. Kamal, MR Thermoset characterization for moldability analysis. Polym Eng Sci 1974 14:231–239 .
11. Batch, GL, Macosko, CW 1992 Kinetic model for crosslinking free radical polymerization including diffusion limitations. J Appl Polym Sci 44:1711–1729 .
12. Patel, PS, Shah, PP, Patel, SR 1986 Differential scanning calorimetry investigation of curing of bisphenolfurfural resins. Polym Eng Sci 26:1186–1190 .
13. Vinnik, R, Roznyatovsky, V 2003 Kinetic method by using calorimetry to mechanism of epoxy-amine cure reaction. J Therm Anal Calorim 73:807–817 .
14. Liu, X, Sheng, X, Lee, J, Kessler, M 2007 Isothermal cure characterization of dicyclopentadiene. J Therm Anal Calorim 89:453–457 .
15. Kissinger, HE 1957 Reaction kinetics in differential thermal analysis. Anal Chem 29:1702–1706 .
16. Ozawa, T Kinetic analysis of derivative curves in thermal analysis. J Therm Anal Calorim 1970 2:301–324 .
17. Kamal, MR, Sourour, S 1973 Kinetics and thermal characterization of thermoset cure. Polym Eng Sci 13:59–64 .
18. Mormann, W, Bröcher, M 1996 “Liquid crystalline” thermosets from 4,4′-bis(2, 3-epoxypropoxy)biphenyl and aromatic diamines. Macromol Chem Phys 197:1841–1851 .
19. Ando, M, Uryu, T 1990 Synthesis of polymer materials by low energy electron beam. XIII. Structure and properties of EB-cured polymers of bifunctional monomer with biphenyl moiety as mesogenic group. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 28:2575–2584 .
20. Giamberjni, M, Amendola, E, Carfagna, C 1995 Liquid crystalline epoxy thermosets. Mol Cryst Liq Cryst 266:9–22 .
21. Barton, JM Monitoring the curing reaction of an aromatic amine/epoxide resin system by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): determination and significance of the activation energy. Makromol Chem 1973 171:247–251 .
22. Punchaipetch, P, Ambrogi, V, Giamberini, M, Brostow, W, Carfagna, C, D’Souza, NA 2001 Epoxy + liquid crystalline epoxy coreacted networks: I. Synthesis and curing kinetics. Polymer 42:2067–2075 .
23. Prime, RB Differential scanning calorimetry of the epoxy cure reaction. Polym Eng Sci 1973 13:365–371 .
24. Riccardi, CC, Dupuy, J, Williams, RJJ 1999 A simple model to explain the complex kinetic behavior of epoxy/anhydride systems. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37:2799–2805 .
25. Peyser, P, Bascom, WD 1977 Kinetics of epoxy resin polymerization using differential scanning calorimetry. J Appl Polym Sci 21:2359–2373 .
26. González-Romero, VM, Casillas, N 1989 Isothermal and temperature programmed kinetic studies of thermosets. Polym Eng Sci 29:295–301 .
27. Khanna, U, Chanda, M 1993 Kinetics of anhydride curing of isophthalic diglycidyl ester using differential scanning calorimetry. J Appl Polym Sci 49:319–329 .
28. Hale, A, Macosko, CW, Bair, HE 1991 Glass transition temperature as a function of conversion in thermosetting polymers. Macromolecules 24:2610–2621 .
29. Mathew, AP, Packirisamy, S, Thomas, S 2001 Studies on the thermal stability of natural rubber/polystyrene interpenetrating polymer networks: thermogravimetric analysis. Polym Degrad Stab 72:423–439 .
30. Gupta, A, Singhal, R, Nagpal, AK 2004 Reactive blends of epoxy resin (DGEBA) crosslinked by anionically polymerized polycaprolactam: process of epoxy cure and kinetics of decomposition. J Appl Polym Sci 92:687–697 .