Effect of Cure Conditions on the Generated Morphology and Viscoelastic Properties of a Poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) Modified Epoxy-Amine System

The curing behavior, phase morphology, and dynamic mechanical characteristics of an epoxy system based on the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 4,4'-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS), modified with different amounts of poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) (ABS), were investigated by employing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The effects of different curing conditions on the generated morphologies and viscoelastic properties were evaluated. The amounts of ABS in the epoxy blends were 3.6, 6.9, 10, and 12.9 wt %. The rate of the curing reaction decreased with increasing thermoplastic content and with decreasing curing temperature. Morphological analysis revealed a phase-separated morphology for the blend systems. The storage modulus (E'), loss modulus (E ''), and tan delta values of the systems were measured as functions of temperature and are discussed based on the morphological behavior of the epoxy blends with different amount of ABS.