Open AccessThermal mending in novel epoxy/cyclic olefin copolymer blends
Author(s) -
Haroon Mahmood,
Andrea Dorigato,
Alessandro Pegoretti
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
express polymer letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.695
H-Index - 72
ISSN - 1788-618X
DOI - 10.3144/expresspolymlett.2020.31
Subject(s) - materials science , charpy impact test , epoxy , composite material , thermosetting polymer , thermoplastic , curing (chemistry) , copolymer , thermogravimetric analysis , toughness , izod impact strength test , particle size , polymer blend , polymer , chemical engineering , ultimate tensile strength , engineering
In this paper, the thermal mending potential of a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) in a thermosetting matrix was evaluated for the first time. Epoxy/COC blends were prepared by mechanically mixing a COC powder (particle size lower than 300 μm) at different concentrations (10, 20, 30 and 40 wt%) in an epoxy resin in the uncured (liquid) state. The presence of a homogenous dispersion of COC particles within the epoxy matrix after curing was confirmed by optical microscopy analysis on polished specimens. Thermogravimetric tests evidenced a positive contribution of the thermoplastic COC phase on the thermal degradation resistance of the blends. The fracture toughness of the blends (both under quasi-static and Charpy impact conditions) increased with the addition of COC. Healing tests were performed on broken samples after healing under a compressive stress of 15 MPa at 190°C for 1 hour. A significant increase of the healing efficiency with the COC content was detected, and healing efficiency values very near to 100% were obtained for a COC content of 40 wt%.
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