ANTIPLASTICIZATION BEHAVIOR OF POLYCAPROLACTONE POLYCARBONATE-MODIFIED EPOXIES/

Antiplasticization behavior was found in the polycaprolactone (PCL)/po lycarbonate (PC)-modified epoxy system, cured with an aromatic amine. The initial modulus increased and the fracture toughness and the elong ation at break decreased with the addition of the PCL/PC modifier. The glass transition temperature (T-g) decreased slightly. In this system , the antiplasticization phenomenon can be explained well by the forma tion of hydrogen bonding between the carbonyl groups in the PCL/PC and the hydroxyl groups in the epoxy. The hydrogen bonding proportion, as analyzed from Fourier transform infrared spectra, increased with the addition of PCL/PC up to 15 parts. This is consistent with the trend o bserved in the mechanical properties. It was thought that for antiplas ticization to occur, a strong molecular interaction is necessary for a restriction of molecular motion, in turn decreasing the free volume o f the matrix and thereby causing an increase in the modulus of the mat erial. The dynamic mechanical thermal behavior of these systems was al so studied. It was found that there was no change in the molecular wei ghts between crosslinks, which excluded the effect of crosslink densit y on the changes of the properties. Instead, the activation energy was increased and the peak area was decreased for the beta relaxation bec ause of the restriction of the molecular motion by hydrogen bonding. T he results indirectly support the hypothesis that the motion of the 2- hydroxypropyl ether is responsible for the beta relaxation process.