Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Chair
Dr. Derek Patton
Committee Chair School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 2
Dr. Tristan Clemons
Committee Member 2 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 3
Dr. Sergei Nazarenko
Committee Member 3 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 4
Dr. James Rawlins
Committee Member 4 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 5
Dr. Jeffrey Wiggins
Committee Member 5 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Abstract
This dissertation relates to ester-containing aromatic epoxy monomers and thermosets formed via reaction of those monomers with either ester-containing or non-ester-containing amine comonomers. Due to the wide array of potential reactants (many bioderivable) to form ester-containing epoxy monomers that are closely related in structure, fundamental study of structure-property relationships was highly practical for this platform of materials.
Though properties of aromatic epoxy thermosets of relatively high-crosslink density and network strand rigidity vary widely with chemical composition and architecture, relatively low fracture toughness and impact resistance due to lack of ductility are typical. Integration of ester functionality and aliphatic spacers/connectors for the ester groups permitted regulation of molecular mobility of thermosets described herein. Aromatic ester functionality (vs. aliphatic), connection by spacers of limited-length, and the use of structurally-analogous ester-containing amine comonomers to uniformly distribute mobility were useful approaches to augment ductility yet limit loss in properties typically associated with highly-crosslinked aromatic epoxy thermosets (high strength, modulus, etc.). The widespread and uniform placement of ester linkages also permitted depolymerization via hydrolysis and alcoholysis – useful from a material end-of-use standpoint.
ORCID ID
0009-0007-2417-4821
Copyright
Jeffrey Aguinaga
Recommended Citation
Aguinaga, Jeffrey, "Structure-Property Relationships in Epoxy/Amine-Derived Polyester Thermosets" (2026). Dissertations. 2458.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2458