Epoxy toughening through high pressure and shear rate preprocessing.

ABSTRACT: We have successfully conceived and demonstrated a simple, scalable process for improving the fracture energy of epoxy resins. The process is based on the combined application of high pressures (in the order of GPa) and shear rates (in the order of 10⁶ m^-1) in the pre-cured polymer, obtaining mechanical forces sufficiently high to increase the reactivity of the monomers due to the scission of the epoxy groups. To achieve these high values of pressure and shear rate, we take advantage of the elastohydrodynamic phenomena occurring at lubricated higher kinematic pairs as, for example, the rolling element - track pair in ball bearings. Experimental results show that, under certain combinations of pressure and shear rate, a substantial improvement in fracture toughness is o

SUBMITTER: Fernandez Zapico G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6874574 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature