Natural Fillers as Potential Modifying Agents for Epoxy Composition: A Review

Epoxy resins as important organic matrices, thanks to their chemical structure and the possibility of modification, have unique properties, which contribute to the fact that these materials have been used in many composite industries for many years. Epoxy resins are repeatedly used in exacting applications due to their exquisite mechanical properties, thermal stability, scratch resistance, and chemical resistance. Moreover, epoxy materials also have really strong resistance to solvents, chemical attacks, and climatic aging. The presented features confirm the fact that there is a constant interest of scientists in the modification of resins and understanding its mechanisms, as well as in the development of these materials to obtain systems with the required properties. Most of the recent studies in the literature are focused on green fillers such as post-agricultural waste powder (cashew nuts powder, coconut shell powder, rice husks, date seed), grass fiber (bamboo fibers), bast/leaf fiber (hemp fibers, banana bark fibers, pineapple leaf), and other natural fibers (waste tea fibers, palm ash) as reinforcement for epoxy resins rather than traditional non-biodegradable fillers due to their sustainability, low cost, wide availability, and the use of waste, which is environmentally friendly. Furthermore, the advantages of natural fillers over traditional fillers are acceptable specific strength and modulus, lightweight, and good biodegradability, which is very desirable nowadays. Therefore, the development and progress of “green products” based on epoxy resin and natural fillers as reinforcements have been increasing. Many uses of natural plant-derived fillers include many plant wastes, such as banana bark, coconut shell, and waste peanut shell, can be found in the literature. Partially biodegradable polymers obtained by using natural fillers and epoxy polymers can successfully reduce the undesirable epoxy and synthetic fiber waste. Additionally, partially biopolymers based on epoxy resins, which will be presented in the paper, are more useful than commercial polymers due to the low cost and improved good thermomechanical properties.

Physics-mechanical and viscoelastic properties of polymer compositions based on synthetic oligomer ED-20 and epoxidized soybean oil

The work was aimed at studying the effects of combining epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) with standard bisphenol type A epoxy resin (ED-20). The ED-20 / ESO ratios were 100/0, 90/10, 95/15 and 80/20 (wt%). The system was cured with amine hardener mono(cyanethyl) diethylenetriamine (MCDT), triethanolamine (TEA) and mixture thereof (TEA + MCDT) at different curing temperatures. The choice was based on the hardener’s ability to open oxirane cycles, form a spatial network and initiate several parallel reactions. The viscoelastic properties, mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation) were studied the density of obtained ED-20 / ESO samples was determined. The results showed that the introduction of ESO into epoxy resin ED-20 was accompanied by significant changes in the curing and final properties of the samples. It was shown that the physic- mechanical properties of polymer compositions ED-20 / ESO were determined by both the ESO content and the temperature of curing Depending on the selected curing mode, the addition of 5–10 wt.% of ESO increased the tensile strength relative to the σр value of the original epoxy matrix. The values of relative elongation increased significantly at 15-20 wt.% of ESO. By the method of dynamic mechanical analysis it was shown that the increase of ESO content leads to plasticization of epoxy composition and to reduction of crosslinking density. It was determined that 5-10 wt.% was the optimal concentration of ESO, at which the epoxy composition had improved physical and mechanical properties Further increase of ESO content reduced the crosslinking density and increased the defectiveness of the epoxy polymer, which causes premature failure in weak places of the structure under load.

The Influence of Mixing Methods of Epoxy Composition Ingredients on Selected Mechanical Properties of Modified Epoxy Construction Materials

The proper process of preparing an adhesive composition has a significant impact on the degree of dispersion of the composition ingredients in the matrix, as well as on the degree of aeration of the resulting composition, which in turn directly affects the strength and functional properties of the obtained adhesive compositions. The paper presents the results of tensile strength tests and SEM microphotographs of the adhesive composition of Epidian 57 epoxy resin with Z-1 curing agent, which was modified using three fillers NanoBent ZR2 montmorillonite, CaCO3 calcium carbonate and CWZ-22 active carbon. For comparison purposes, samples made of unmodified composition were also tested. The compositions were prepared with the use of six mixing methods, with variable parameters such as type of mixer arm, deaeration and epoxy resin temperature. Then, three mixing speeds were applied: 460, 1170 and 2500 rpm. The analyses of the obtained results showed that the most effective tensile results were obtained in the case of mixing with the use of a dispersing disc mixer with preliminary heating of the epoxy resin to 50 °C and deaeration of the composition during mixing. The highest tensile strength of adhesive compositions was obtained at the highest mixing speed; however, the best repeatability of the results was observed at 1170 rpm mixing speed. Based on a comparison test of average values, it was observed that, in case of modified compositions, the values of average tensile strength obtained at mixing speeds at 1170 and 2500 rpm do not differ significantly with the assumed level of significance α = 0.05.

STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF TWO TYPES OF FIRE RETARDANTS ON THE FLAMMABILITY OF EPOXY RESIN SAMPLES

Studies have been carried out to assess the effectiveness of fire retardants on the flammability of an epoxy composition – graphene and an organophosphorus compound DOPO-THPO. The concentrations of the added flame retardants were 2 and 4 % (mass). Flammability characteristics were determined using the method according to GOST 28157 (UL 94) with vertical and horizontal samples. It was found that the introduction of fire retardants reduces the flammability of the epoxy composition, but the introduction of even 4 % was insufficient to ensure self-extinguishing of the epoxy composition during vertical testing.

Hybrid composites with low reflection of IR radiation

The conditions of formation and properties of hybrid organic-inorganic composites based on epoxy polymer matrix and a mixture of magnetic and polymeric fillers are studied. Based on the study of physicochemical properties of fillers and composites, it was found that the introduction of a dispersion of magnetite modified with polymer shells and polyaniline doped with toluene sulfonic acid in the thermosetting epoxy composition in the amount of 2-6 wt.% provides the ability of composites to significant absorption and low reflection of IR and microwave range. It was found that the optimal content of the composition corresponds to the best mechanical properties of the obtained coatings, in particular, high microhardness. This makes it possible to use the proposed composition to obtain on its basis composite films and coatings for anti-radar purposes, which reduce the intensity of microwave radiation acting on the object and at the same time act as protective coatings on the surface of metals.

Epoxy Nanocomposites Reinforced with Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes

In this article, amino functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared by chemical modification of the surface of a MWCNTs using γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and dispersed into the epoxy composition. The modifying agent (APTES) was directly deposited on the MWCNTs surfaces. For the functionalization of MWCNTs, was used not the APTES concentrate, as it had been described in previous works, but its freshly prepared aqueous solution. Properties of APTES-treated MWCNTs were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and FT-IR. The results showed that the functionalization and chemical compatibility of APTES-treated MWCNTs with epoxy composition provides their best dispersion in the epoxy composition, had important influence on curing behavior, structure and physicochemical properties of the epoxy composites plasticized with trichloroethyl phosphate. The results showed that the functionalization and chemical compatibility of APTES-treated MWCNTs with epoxy composition provides increased of physicomechanical properties of epoxy composites: bending stress increases by 194% and bending modulus increases by 137%, the tensile strength increases by 108% and the tensile elastic modulus increases by 52%, impact strength increases by 300%, in comparison with plasticized epoxy composite that does not contain MWCNTs.

Reinforcement of Epoxy Composites with Application of Finely-ground Ochre and Electrophysical Method of the Composition Modification

The conducted studies have proven the possibility of the directed control of operational properties of epoxy composites, due to the addition of finely-ground ocher into their composition, and the use of microwave modification of the epoxy composition. The rational content of ocher as a modifying additive (0.5 parts by mass) and a filler (75 parts by mass) of the epoxy composition has been selected, which ensures the improvement of the studied complex of physical-mechanical properties. It has been proven that ocher affects the structure formation processes and the structure of the epoxy composite, thus increasing its thermal, heat and fire resistance. During the research, the application efficiency has been proven, and the optimal parameters of the microwave modification (power—350 W; duration—30 s) of epoxy compositions filled with ocher, which increase physical-mechanical characteristics of composites, have been selected.