Hyperbranched aromatic epoxies in the design of adhesive materials

The use of hyperbranched aromatic epoxy polymer 2 (HARE) as a component in various adhesion experiments has been demonstrated. Two different modes of curing were tested, including a photoinitiated cationic curing process and a polyfunctional amine curing process. These processes gave flexible films that showed good adhesion to nylon, steel, and glass. Furthermore, blends o f HARE and the commercial epoxy resin bisphenol F diglycidyl ether (BPFG) w ere cured with 2-ethyl-4-methylimidazole (EMI) at 150 degrees C on lap-shea r assemblies. These cured assemblies displayed adhesive strengths in the ra nge of 15 MPa over a broad range of HARE/BPFG weight ratios.