Toughening Epoxy Resin with Poly(methyl methacrylate)-Grafted Natural Rubber

Abstract

A novel rubber, poly(methyl methacrylate)-g-natural rubber (Hevea-plus MG), has been studied as a toughening agent for bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (Shell 828 epoxy resin) cured with piperidine. Effective dispersions of the rubber, in concentrations of 2-10 parts per hundred parts resin, were achieved by adjusting the solubility parameter of the epoxy to approximate that of poly(methyl methacrylate) by adding bisphenol A. The fracture energy of the rubber-modified resin was determined by compact tension tests (in the temperature range -60 to +40 °C) and by Charpy impact tests. The poly(methyl methacrylate)-g-natural rubber was found to be an effective toughening agent for the epoxy resin at both low and high rates of strain. Possible fracture mechanisms are discussed.