Development of Sustainable High Performance Epoxy Thermosets for Aerospace and Space Applications
Roxana Dinu, Ugo Lafont, Olivier Damiano, Alice Mija
Abstract
There is an imperative need to find sustainable ways to produce bisphenol A free, high performance thermosets for specific applications such as the space or aerospace areas. In this study, an aromatic tris epoxide, the tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane triglycidyl ether (THPMTGE), was selected to generate high crosslinked networks by its copolymerization with anhydrides. Indeed, the prepared thermosets show a gel content (GC) ~99.9% and glass transition values ranged between 167–196 °C. The thermo-mechanical properties examined by DMA analyses reveal the development of very hard materials with E′ ~3–3.5 GPa. The thermosets’ rigidity was confirmed by Young’s moduli values which ranged between 1.25–1.31 GPa, an elongation at break of about 4–5%, and a tensile stress of ~35–45 MPa. The TGA analyses highlight a very good thermal stability, superior to 340 °C. The Limit Oxygen Index (LOI) parameter was also evaluated, showing the development of new materials with good flame retardancy properties.