GT70 - Abstract Preview
GT70
Symposium: S01 - General Session
Oral Presentation
 
 

Cure Reaction of Epoxy Resins catalyzed by Graphite-Based Nanofillers

Esposito Corcione Carola (1)*, Acocella Maria Rosaria (2), Giuri Antonella (1), Maffezzoli Alfonso (1), Guerra Gaetano (2)

(1) Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Innovazione, Università del Salento - Lecce - Italy, (2) Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia e Unità di Ricerca INSTM, Università di Salerno - Fisciano - SA - Italy

A significant effort was directed to the synthesis of graphene stacks/epoxy nanocomposites and to the analysis of the effect of different graphene precursors on cure reaction of a model epoxy matrix. A comparative thermal analysis of epoxy resins filled with different carbon nanofillers (a high-surface-area graphite, HSAG and a graphite oxide GO), for different thermal histories, was performed. The higher glass transition temperature (Tg) of epoxy resins observed during cure at low curing temperature in presence of graphite-based nanofillers, were rationalized assuming a catalytic activity of nanographite on the reaction between the epoxy and amine groups of the resin, which leads to higher crosslinking density in milder conditions. This hypothesis was clearly supported by experiments showing the catalytic activity of the considered graphite-based nanofillers on the epoxide reaction of monofunctional epoxide with amines. The considered nanocarbons exert a catalytic activity not only on reactions between primary amines and epoxide groups but also on reactions between secondary amines and epoxide groups, like those needed to crosslink epoxy resins [1]. Starting from these results, a kinetic analysis of the cure mechanism of the epoxy resin associated to the catalytic activity of the graphite based fillers was also performed by isothermal Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements. The DSC results showed that the addition of all graphite based fillers increased the enthalpy of epoxy reaction and the maximum reaction rate, confirming the presence of a catalytic activity of nanographitic layers on the crosslinking reaction of the epoxy oligomer and di-amine. A phenomenological kinetic analysis, considering an autocatalyzed reaction mechanism, was finally applied to isothermal DSC data in order better study the kinetic effects of different graphite based nanofillers on curing of epoxy/amine mixtures. References [1] M. Mauro, M. R. Acocella, C. Esposito Corcione,A. Maffezzoli, G. Guerra Polymer 55 (2014) 5612 - 5615