Effects of graft modification on mechanical properties of epoxy resin

• Main Author: Teh, Letitia Kai Yue
• Other Authors: Chen Zhong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/176315
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Epoxy resin is widely used as electrical insulation material due to its excellent combination of properties that make it ideal for various applications in the electrical and electronics industries. It is known for its high dielectric strength, good adhesion, and good chemical resistance. Other properties such as thermal stability, good mechanical strength versatility are also characteristic of epoxy resin, making it an ideal choice of materials for electrical insulator. Additive are commonly used to enhance their properties. The aim of this project is to investigate the effect of grafting agents on the mechanical properties of epoxy resins. . To achieve this, three distinct grafting agents were employed: Allyl chloroacetate (AC), Maleic Anhydride (MA), and 2-Amino-5-chloro-2′-fluorobenzophenone (ACF). Various concentrations of these agents, namely 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, were incorporated into the epoxy resin. The modified epoxy resins, along with a control sample of unmodified epoxy resin, were then subjected to Mechanical Tensile Static testing, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for evaluation. In summary, all grafted epoxy resin samples exhibited enhancements in Young’s Modulus and Glass Transition Temperature, except for those grafted with Maleic Anhydride. However, a notable downside observed in grafted epoxy was embrittlement. Compared to pure epoxy, all grafted epoxy samples displayed lower Ultimate Tensile Strength, except for 1.5% Allyl chloroacetate grafted epoxy, which showed a slight improvement of 0.29%. SEM-EDX imaging confirmed the uniform distribution of grafting agents throughout the samples.