Studies on isotactic poly(phenyl glycidyl ether)-modified epoxy resins. I. Physical gels

摘要

Isotactic poly(phenyl glycidyl ether) (i-PPGE) was prepared using a Teyssie catalyst. The polymer was dissolved in the epoxy resin at approximately 200degreesC and Gels were formed as the solutions cooled to room temperature. The gels were studied by rheological techniques, differential scanning calorimetry analysis, optical microscopy, and electron microscopy. The existence of a network in the gels was demonstrated by the nonlinear increase of the viscosity with i-PPGE concentration and by the significant storage modulus. A high isotacticity of the polymer was essential for gel formation. The thermal history of the system showed a great influence on the network structure and on the performance of the gel. The yield stresses of the physical gels increased with the concentration of i-PPGE. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [References: 20]