Characterization and Curing Kinetics of Epoxy/Silica Nano-Hybrids

Cheng-Fu Yang; Li-Fen Wang; Song-Mao Wu; Chean-Cheng Su

doi:10.3390/ma8105357

Materials (Oct 2015)

Characterization and Curing Kinetics of Epoxy/Silica Nano-Hybrids

Cheng-Fu Yang,
Li-Fen Wang,
Song-Mao Wu,
Chean-Cheng Su

Affiliations

Cheng-Fu Yang: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, No. 700, Kaohsiung University Rd., Nan-Tzu Dist., Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
Li-Fen Wang: Department of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Fooyin University, 151 Jinxue Rd., Daliao Dist., Kaohsiung 831, Taiwan
Song-Mao Wu: Department of Electrical Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, No. 700, Kaohsiung University Rd., Nan-Tzu Dist., Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
Chean-Cheng Su: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, No. 700, Kaohsiung University Rd., Nan-Tzu Dist., Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma8105357
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 10
pp. 7032 – 7040

Abstract

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The sol-gel technique was used to prepare epoxy/silica nano-hybrids. The thermal characteristics, curing kinetics and structure of epoxy/silica nano-hybrids were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To improve the compatibility between the organic and inorganic phases, a coupling agent was used to modify the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy. The sol-gel technique enables the silica to be successfully incorporated into the network of the hybrids, increasing the thermal stability and improving the mechanical properties of the prepared epoxy/silica nano-hybrids. An autocatalytic mechanism of the epoxy/SiO2 nanocomposites was observed. The low reaction rate of epoxy in the nanocomposites is caused by the steric hindrance in the network of hybrids that arises from the consuming of epoxide group in the network of hybrids by the silica. In the nanocomposites, the nano-scale silica particles had an average size of approximately 35 nm, and the particles were well dispersed in the epoxy matrix, according to the TEM images.

Published in Materials

ISSN: 1996-1944 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering; Technology: Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General); Science: Natural history (General): Microscopy; Science: Physics: Descriptive and experimental mechanics
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/

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