Preparation and properties studies of UV-curable silicone modified epoxy resin composite system

Introduction: Modified epoxy suitable for ultraviolet (UV) curing is prepared by using organic silicon toughening. The curing kinetics of the composite are studied by dielectric analysis (DEA), and the two-phase compatibility of the composite is studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Methods: The tensile properties, heat resistance, and humidity resistance of the cured product are explored by changing the composition ratio of the silicone and the epoxy resin. Results: SEM of silicone/epoxy resin shows that the degree of cross-linking of the composites decreases with an increase of silicone resin content. Differential thermal analysis indicates that the glass transition temperature and the thermal stability of the composites decrease gradually with an increase of silicone resin content. The thermal degradation rate in the high temperature region, however, first decreases and then increases. In general, after adding just 10%–15% of the silicone resin and exposing to light for 15 min, the composite can still achieve a better curing effect. Conclusions: Under such conditions, the heat resistance of the cured product decreases a little. The tensile strength is kept constant so that elongation at breakage is apparently improved. The change rate after immersion in distilled water at 60°C for seven days is small, which shows excellent humidity resistance.