SYNTHESIS AND THERMAL STUDIES OF SOME EPOXY SYSTEMS CURED WITH AROMATIC DIAMINES

Abstract

Some aromatic diamines having flexible ether linkages with variable aliphatic and aromatic character were synthesized via Williamson’s method and used as curing agents in their solution phase and/or molten state for a commercially available epoxy resin; diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) (n = 0.03, epoxy equivalent = 174.5 g/mol). The resulting polymeric systems were characterized by their physical properties and FT-IR-spectral studies. The thermal behaviour of the synthesized epoxy polymers were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The optimum curing temperature of these polymers was found to be ~ 150°C. The polymers were stable up to 270°C with maximum weight loss at ~ 400°C.