Abstract
This work demonstrates the use of an engineering thermoplastic, poly(phenylene ether) (PPE) to enhance the solvent resistance and thermomechanical properties of liquid acrylic resin matrix composites by a reactive hybridisation route. Oligomeric PPE with vinyl functionality was employed to attain chemical reactivity between the two constituents during the in-situ polymerisation process. Both unreinforced polymer blends and glass fibre-reinforced composites were studied; physical insights into the polymer structure and properties were obtained through complementary spectroscopic analysis, thermal analysis and microscopy. Spectroscopic analysis revealed the formation of multi-component mixtures in the blends, containing both CDCl3-soluble and -insoluble constituents, with the latter likely corresponding to a reacted acrylic/PPE species. These findings show that incorporating reactive PPE into a reactive acrylic resin to produce a hybrid-matrix system is a simple, yet effective strategy towards enhancing solvent resistance (mass retention: 98% – PPE-modified; 72% – unmodified), while simultaneously enhancing the glass transition temperature (+9%) in acrylic-matrix composites.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 109804 |
Journal | Materials & Design |
Volume | 206 |
Early online date | 6 May 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Aug 2021 |
Keywords
- Polymer-matrix composite
- Thermoplastic composite
- Thermoplastic resin
- Chemical analysis
- Thermal analysis
- Hybrid-matrix composite