Preparation and cryogenic mechanical properties of epoxy resins modified by poly(ethersulfone)

A thermoplastic, poly(ethersulfone) (PES) was used to modify a bisphenol-F based epoxy resin cured with an aromatic diamine. The initial mixtures before curing, prepared by melt mixing, were homogeneous. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs of solvent-etched fracture surfaces of the cured blends indicated that phase separation occurred after curing. The cryogenic mechanical behaviors of the epoxy resins were studied in terms of tensile properties and Charpy impact strength at cryogenic temperature (77 K) and compared to their corresponding behaviors at room temperature (RT). The addition of PES generally improved the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength at both RT and 77 K except the RT tensile strength at 25 phr PES content. It was interesting to observe that and the maximum values of the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength occurred at 20 phr PES content where a co-continuous phase formed. Young's modulus decreased slightly with the increase of the PES content. Moreover, the tensile strength and Young's modulus at 77 K were higher than those at RT at the same composition, whereas the elongation at break and impact strength showed the opposite results. Finally, the differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed that the glass transition temperature (Tg) was enhanced by the addition of PES.