Effect of complexation with copper (II) on cured neat resin properties of a commercial epoxy resin using modified imidazole curing agents

Abstract

A commercial epoxy prepolymer (MY750) was cured with novel modified imidazole curing agents under both isothermal and dynamic scanning conditions. The incorporation of an imidazole–copper(II) chloride complex curing agent to the epoxy prepolymer effected full cure after an isothermal cure schedule and post-cure treatment. The thermal stability of polymers arising from the isothermal cure schedule were generally higher than those for the corresponding dynamic cure. For samples cured via the dynamic curing process, a lower heating rate resulted in superior thermal stability. The same findings were obtained for samples cured via the isothermal curing process where the lower initial cure temperatures were optimal. The results of the present study show that the addition of metal atoms to the polymer systems does not have an adverse effect on either the water absorption or the dielectric properties of the final product. The cured resin displayed comparable thermal stability and absorbed the same amount of water at saturation (and a marginally lower amount at lower curing agent loadings) to a similar sample cured with an unmodified imidazole adduct.