A study of flexibilized epoxy systems

This study was initiated as part of an overall program to develop some basic information regarding the properties of flexibilized epoxy compounds and to attempt to relate these properties to the composition of the compounds. An additional objective has been to establish the inter-relationships that may exist among these properties. In this study, attention was directed toward the measurement of the tensile strength, per cent elongation, dissipation factor and volume resistivity of specially compounded epoxy systems. Flexibilized epoxy formulations comprising a liquid epoxy resin, a liquid acid anhydride, an epoxy reactive flexibilizer and a tertiary amine catalyst were prepared. The composition was varied by anhydride type (two different anhydrides were employed), by flexibilizer concentration, and by curing agent to epoxide ratio. Two different cure schedules were used to study the effect of composition and cure variables on the ultimate properties.