ANALYSIS OF THERMOSTABILITY, SWELLING IN SOLVENT AND MACROSTRUCTURE OF EPOXY / 1-10 WEIGHT% SILICA NANOCOMPOSITES
DMITRO STAROKADOMSKY *
Institute of Surface Chemistry of Prof. A. A. Chuiko, (Polymer Nanocomposite Lab. No. 13), National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present paper considers the resistive properties of DGEBA-based epoxy polymer containing dispersed silica. A comprehensive study of the effect of concentration of silica PK300 (S=300 m2\g, average particles size 20 nm) to the strength and durability of epoxy-polymer, and the nature of its thermal decomposition, were carried out. The existence of optimal and suboptimal concentrations of the PK300 was shown. In mass-spectra of composites, a growing of temperature of maximal intensive destruction is observed at 1 wt% and especially 5 wt%. The basic products of thermal destruction are CO2, H2O, CO and aldehydes, ketones, aromatic fragments of epoxy-polymer. Filling can change a types and ratio of basic peaks intensity- especially at 5 wt%. Filling let increase temperature of the smoke-emission of composite from 360ºC (for unfilled) to 390-400ºC and even 420ºC (for 5 wt%). Thermogravimetric analysis shows a change in destruction of polymer after filling. The most effective resistance to penetration of ink-solvent shows epoxy-composites with 4 and 4 – 5 wt% respectively. The most adhesion to fiberglass were shown by epoxy-composites with 2 and 5 wt%. Concentration effects are possible due to aggregation of the filler in the polymer, that changes a structure of the polymer network and the number of defects after filling.
Keywords: Epoxy-polymer, composite, silica PK300, mass-spectra, thermo-stability, strength, swelling, solvent