INVESTIGATION OF POLYAMINE QUINONES AS HYDROPHOBIC CURATIVES FOR EPOXY-RESINS

Polyamine quinones (PAQs), which have been used previously to produce solvent-based coatings with exceptional durability in corrosive enviro nments, were synthesized and blended with an aliphatic diamine (diethy lenetriamine, DETA) to provide a liquid, epoxy curing agent. The PAQ-a mine mixture was evaluated as a curing agent for an epoxy matrix resin system for glass-reinforced composites. After elevated temperature wa ter exposure, short-beam shear and dynamic mechanical analyses were pe rformed on the composites. The ability of PAQs to enhance fiber-resin bonding was evaluated. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), which is a s ensitive measurement of fiber-resin interactions, showed that the PAQ curative enhances strength retention of composites exposed to aggressi ve environments. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.