Thermal and toughness property studies on a polybenzimidazole-modified epoxy resin system

✍ Scribed by Kandasamy Natarajan; Rao Prakash Kumar; P V Reddy; N M Nanje Gowda; R M V G K Rao

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 191 KB
• Volume: 49
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0959-8103
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0126(200011)49:11<1321::aid-pi480>3.0.co;2-y

✦ Synopsis

The effect of polybenzimidazole (PBI) on a silica-®lled epoxy resin matrix has been investigated. Polybenzimidazole (PBI) was incorporated into a difunctional epoxy resin matrix to the extent of 10 %, before being cured with an anhydride hardener. The effects of PBI on the curing reaction and glass transition temperature (T g ) and on the toughness of the cured epoxy matrix have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and a universal testing machine (Instron). The results indicate that the PBI modi®er enhanced not only the glass transition temperature of the difunctional epoxy matrix but also its toughness, by its catalytic action. Further investigations have been carried out on the fractured specimens, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to support the enhanced toughness property of the epoxy matrix.