The network formation of four epoxy-rich formulations of the structural isomers of triglycidyl aminophenol and diaminodiphenyl sulfone has been monitored by using two complementary techniques, near-infrared spectroscopy and resin temperature monitoring. The differences between these networks have been described using the concentration of epoxide, primary amine, secondary amine, and tertiary amine functional groups and the actual temperature of the resin compared to the oven temperature during the cure schedule. It was found that initially, the 3,3'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (33'DDS) formulations were more reactive and primary amines were completely consumed before the 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (44'DDS) formulations. Secondary amines were formed more quickly in 33'DDS formulations compared to 44'DDS. The triglycidyl-meta-aminophenol (TGmAP) formulations consumed secondary amines and produced tertiary amines faster than the triglycidyl-para-aminophenol (TGpAP) formulations, indicating higher levels of cross-linking occurred earlier in the curing reaction. Etherification occurred much earlier in the TGpAP formulations than in the TGmAP formulations. Results suggest that internal cyclization occurs in the three meta isomer-containing formulations, and a corresponding lack of this effect in TGpAP/44'DDS results in a more homogeneous cross-linked network.
Nanoscale surface morphology of plant fibers has important implications for the interfacial bonding in fiber-polymer composites. In this study, we investigated and quantified the effect of plasma-surface modification on ramie plant fibers as a potential tool for simple and efficient surface modification. The extensive investigation of the effects of plasma treatment of the fiber surface nano-morphology and its effect on the fiber-polymer interface was performed by Low-Voltages Scanning Electron Microscopy (LV-SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, fiber-resin angle measurements and mechanical (tensile) testing. The LV-SEM imaging of uncoated plasma treated fibers reveals nanostructures such as microfibrils and elementary fibrils and their importance for fiber mechanical properties, fiber wettability, and fiber-polymer matrix interlocking which all peak at short plasma treatment times. Thus, such treatment can be an effective in modifying the fiber surface characteristics and fiber-polymer matrix interlocking favorably for composite applications.
Data from gas pycnometry, static compressive stress-strain and dynamic mechanical analysis are presented for a series of aromatic amine cured epoxy resins. Samples are prepared and tested which consist of para-para, para-meta, meta-para and meta-meta isomers of the epoxy and amine phenylene ring respectively. The density data consists of 25 measurements on 3 separate samples of each of the 4 sample types. The static compressive stress-strain data consists of at least 5 tests on separate samples of each of the 4 samples types. The dynamic mechanical analysis data consists of multiple frequency, loss tangent measurements of at least 6 separate samples of each of the 4 sample types. The data is interpreted in the accompanying research article, 'Internal antiplasticisation in highly crosslinked amine cured multifunctional epoxy resins' (Ramsdale-Capper and Foreman, submitted for publication) [1].
