The Water Diffusion Characteristics of Toughened Epoxy Polymers

摘要

The addition of elastomeric and thermoplastic toughening agents to epoxy resins typically employed in adhesive and polymer composite materials can substantially influence water uptake characteristics. In the case of CTBN modification of a difunctional resin, the amount of CTBN incorporated results in complex water uptake ― concentration trends, the nature of which are possibly dependent on cured resin morphology. Cure conditions also influence the nature of the absorption process with CTBN systems. Thermoplastic modification of a TGDDM/DDS epoxy results in significant improvements in hydrophobicity; the higher the concentration of thermoplastic, the lower the amount of water absorbed.