Date of Award
Spring 5-2012
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Committee Chair
Sarah Morgan
Committee Chair Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Committee Member 2
Sergei I. Nazarenko
Committee Member 2 Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Committee Member 3
James Rawlins
Committee Member 3 Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Committee Member 4
Daniel Savin
Committee Member 4 Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Committee Member 5
Jeffrey Wiggins
Committee Member 5 Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Abstract
i ABSTRACT MOLECULAR NETWORK DEVELOPMENT OF A THERMOSETTING EPOXY-AMINE POLYMER by Christopher Michael Sahagun May 2012 Epoxy-amine resins find wide application as the matrix material of high performance polymer composites due to their favorable mechanical properties, thermal properties and solvent stability. These properties are derived from the complicated, highly crosslinked molecular network that is characteristic of these thermoset polymers. The connectivity of the molecular network has a strong influence on the physical performance of the finished part. Non-homogeneity in the network structure can degrade these favorable properties through the introduction of low-energy pathways for solvent penetration or fracture propagation. This work examines nanoscale variation in the crosslink density of the epoxy-amine network. Specific attention is paid to the influence of cure temperature on the network-building reaction and the subsequent effect on the architecture of the crosslinked molecular network. Thermal, rheological and spectroscopic techniques are used to monitor key chemical and structural changes during network growth. Atomic force microscopy is used to understand nanoscale fracture behavior in terms of the low energy pathways that result from a non-homogeneous distribution of crosslink density. The influence of processing-induced changes in molecular connectivity is discussed in terms of observed nanoscale morphology and fracture properties of the cured material.
Copyright
2012, Christopher Michael Sahagun
Recommended Citation
Sahagun, Christopher Michael, "Molecular Network Development of a Thermosetting Epoxy-Amine Polymer" (2012). Dissertations. 827.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/827