Sub-micron structured Polymethyl Methacrylate/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene rubber blends obtained via gamma radiation induced “in situ” polymerisation

The morphology and properties of PMMA/rubber blends, obtained through gamma radiation induced “in situ” polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of small quantities of an acrylonitrile–butadiene based rubber (ABN), are presented. Different systems have been obtained by irradiating at a fixed irradiation dose rate and temperature, varying the integrated dose. All the blends obtained were characterized with respect to their melt state and solid state dynamic-mechanical response and mechanical tensile properties. In particular, the effect on the blend properties of prolonging the irradiation time was investigated. Furthermore, a morphological characterization through atomic force microscopy (AFM) was performed in order to determine how the irradiation conditions affect the ABN rubber particle size and distribution. Finally, the stability of the obtained morphologies was investigated by performing post-irradiation thermal treatments at a temperature close to the glass transition of pure PMM

Modeling the chemorheological behavior of epoxy/liquid aromatic diamine for resin transfer molding applications

The analysis of the chemorheological behavior of an epoxy prepolymer based on a diglycidylether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) with a liquid aromatic diamine (DETDA 80) as a hardener was performed by combining the data obtained from Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) with rheological measurements. The kinetics of the crosslinking reaction was analyzed at conventional injection temperatures varying from 100 to 150 degrees C as experienced during a Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process. A phenomenological kinetic model able to describe the cure behavior of the DGEBA/DETDA 80 system during processing is proposed. Rheological properties of this low reactive epoxy system were also measured to follow the cure evolution at the same temperatures as the mold-filling process. An empirical model correlating the resin viscosity with temperature and the extent of reaction was obtained to carry out later a simulation of the RTM process and to prepare advanced composites. Predictions of the viscosity changes were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data at low extents of cure, i.e., in the period of time required for the mold-filling stage in RTM proces