Investigation Of Frontal Polymerization Of Epoxy Resin

Frontal polymerization was a new type curing technology, rapid reaction speed, easier reaction process controllability, save energy, less pollution. It was possible to cure epoxy resin in few minutes by frontal polymerization and in several hours by thermal cure process. The alicyclic epoxy and epoxy resin-montmorillonite Nanocomposites were cured by thermal/photo frontal polymerization. The dependence of the front velocity and frontal temperature on the photo-initiator/thermal initiator concentration, initial temperature and angle of tube inclined and other relevant factors were thoroughly investigated. The obtained materials had shown characteristics similar or even better than those prepared by the conventional methods with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, thermogravimetric analysis, DSC and a scanning electron microscope, but frontal polymerization showed a great advantage in the process. The main research contents and conclusions are as follows:1.The study on thermal frontal polymerization of epoxy resin. The effect of the angle of tube inclined, thermal initiator concentration, initial temperature were investigated and showed that: The angle of tube inclined changed, the front velocity decreased. When the thermal initiator concentration was4wt%for the best, the front velocity kept1.194cm·min-1and ignition time used57s. The frontal polymerization product ware compared to thermal cure one, the samples ware characterized with FT-IR and TG had the same the properties, the glass transition temperature of FP product was higher than thermal cure one by DSC measurements, the morphology was more uniform than thermal cure product.2. The investigation of photo-frontal polymerization of epoxy resin. The effect of thermal/photo-initiator concentration, initial temperature and the tube size etc. were investigated and showed that: it was suit to use thermal/photo-initiator concentration of4wt%, the front velocity increased and ignition time decreased for initial temperature increased, the front temperature increased for thermal initiator concentration increased. A comparison of these products by different processes: the characters of different processes products were similar analysed by FT-IR, TG and impact strength. DSC measured that the glass transition temperature of PFP was highest and showed the advantages of PFP. 3. The investigation of the photo-frontal polymerization of epoxy resin/nanomontmorillonite. The front velocity decreased for increased the amount of montmorillonite. The front velocity didn’t change when photo-initiator increased. The ignition time decreased and the front velocity markedly increased with the increasing of thermal initiator concentration. SEM analysis revealed the morphology with ultrasonic processing uniformly and no appearance on particle united. A comparison of these products by different processes: the characters of different processes products were similar analysed by FT-IR, TG and impact strength.