Premium
Polymerization‐induced bimodal phase separation in a rubber‐modified epoxy system
Author(s) -
Zhang Jianwen,
Zhang Hongdong,
Yang Yuliang
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(19990404)72:1<59::aid-app6>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - diglycidyl ether , materials science , differential scanning calorimetry , upper critical solution temperature , polymer chemistry , epoxy , curing (chemistry) , spinodal decomposition , polymerization , miscibility , composite material , nucleation , bisphenol a , phthalic anhydride , copolymer , chemical engineering , lower critical solution temperature , phase (matter) , polymer , chemistry , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , engineering , physics , catalysis
The bimodal phase separation process of a rubber‐modified epoxy system, consisting of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), and a hydroxyl‐terminated butadiene–acrylonitrile random copolymer (HTBN), during curing with tetrahydro‐phthalic anhydride was studied by time‐resolved small‐angle light scattering (TRSALS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and digital image analysis (DIA). The HTBN/DGEBA mixture reveals an upper critical solution temperature (UCST). At higher curing temperatures, double‐peak structure from the matrix was investigated by TRSALS and confirmed by DIA. The special two characteristic size distribution behavior was explained qualitatively by nucleation growth coupled with spinodal decomposition (NGCSD) and the competition between phase separation and polymerization. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 59–67, 1999