MODIFICATION OF EPOXY-RESINS WITH POLY(ARYL ETHER KETONE)S

Poly(aryl ether ketone)s were used as modifiers for bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether epoxy resin (AER 331) cured with methyl hexahydrophthalic anhydride. Poly (phthaloyl diphenyl ether) (PPDE), soluble in the uncured epoxy resin without using solvents, was prepared by the Friedel-Crafts reaction of phthaloyl chloride and diphenyl ether. The mechanical, thermal, and dynamic viscoelastic properties of the modified resins with PPDE were examined and compared to the parent resin (AER 331). The fracture toughness, K(IC), for the modified resins increased at no expense to their mechanical and thermal properties on 10 wt % addition of PPDE with molecular weights of more than 17,000. The toughening mechanism is discussed based on the morphological and dynamic viscoelastic behaviors of the modified epoxy resin system.