EFFECT OF COPPER OXIDES ON THE THERMAL OXIDATIVE-DEGRADATION OF THE EPOXY-RESIN

The effect of copper oxides on the thermal oxidative degradation of a brominated epoxy resin-dicyandiamide system was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The addition of small amounts of Cu2O or CuO fillers to the epoxy resins affected the relative amounts of highly reacted cyclic species formed during thermal aging and induced catalytic degradation of the epoxy resins. The overall and initial activation energies of the degradation process were found to decrease, and the order in the degradation kinetics of the epoxy resin changed from a near zero order to negative domain (autocatalytic nature) in the presence of copper oxides. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.