STUDY ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES AND PARTICLE-SIZEDISTRIBUTION FOR POLYHEXAMETHYLENE CARBONATE DIOL TOUGHENED EPOXY-RESIN

The relationship between the mechanical properties and morphology of p olyhexamethylene carbonate diol (PHMCD) toughened epoxy resin was inve stigated. The parameters describing the morphology (e.g., average diam eter of particles and volume fraction of dispersed phase, etc.) were d etermined through SEM observation. It was observed that the particle s ize distribution changes from a unimodal distribution to a bimodal one and then to unimodal again with an increase in curing temperature. Wh en it was cured at 120 degrees C, an epoxy resin with a bimodal distri bution of rubber particle size was obtained. The mechanical properties , especially the impacting strength, of the resin are the best because of the synergistic effect of the PHMCD particles. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.