UV curable epoxy acrylate–clay nanocomposites

The acrylation of epoxy resin (Epikot 828) was carried out through the reaction with acrylic acid in the presence of triphenyl phosphine and nanoclay under ultrasonic irradiation. Therefore, either the ultrasonically induced acrylation or nanoclay dispersion was carried out simultaneously. The conversion of epoxy to ester group was monitored by FTIR spectroscopy. Physical properties of the reinforced films were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Significant reduction of the reaction time was the main advantage of the ultrasonic process in comparison with the method of conventional heating.