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2009
Journal Article
Titel
Characterizations of adhesion property, morphology and cure reaction of epoxy/polyamide/MPD reactive blend with imidazole(2E4MZ-CN) catalyst
Abstract
The morphology and mechanical properties of epoxy/polyamide/MPD/2E4MZ-CN reactive blends with various amount of catalyst were investigated. The cure behaviors, mechanical strengths, and morphological changes of the epoxy blend systems were analyzed by using DSC, UTM, and SEM, respectively. The amount of catalyst ranged from 0 to 3 phr, and the cure reaction occurred at 170 degrees C for 30 min. The maximum peaks in heat flow during cure reactions appeared at slightly lower temperature with increasing catalyst content, indicating that the cure reactions start at lower temperature by adding catalyst and polyamide rarely hinders the cure reaction paths. The co-continuous morphology was found in epoxy/polyamide (20 phr) blends and by adding catalyst to the blends much clearer and uniform co-continuous phase was observed. The surface tension of the mechanical test specimen was increased due to the AP plasma surface treatment, and then adhesion strength was increased by over 20% by adding 2 phr of catalyst to the blends. When considering morphological tuning of the blends by means of catalyst incorporation, it is expected that the increased elongation and adhesion strength can be achieved in the structural adhesive systems.