Title: Pre-catalyzed Anhydride Curing Agents for High Performance Epoxy Pultrusion Applications

Authors: Alejandrina Campanella, Michael Watkins, and Karana Shah

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/c.19.0704

Abstract: In recent years, the pultrusion industry has become interested in epoxy-anhydride resins due to the many advantages of this system, such as low viscosity mixes, long working times and pot lives, good high temperature performance, excellent electrical properties, high strength (tensile and flexural) and resistance to a wide range of chemicals. Anhydride curing agents normally require relatively high temperature cures for extended periods in order to achieve excellent performance in epoxy composites. This typically leads to limited line speeds and/or short pot-lives in pultrusion processes using anhydride-epoxy systems. Dixie Chemical has developed new anhydride curatives for epoxy that overcome these challenges, via a new, advanced catalyst technology, enabling high speed pultrusion of epoxy composites.

This work will demonstrate the practicality of using these unique pre-catalyzed anhydride curatives with epoxy resins to produce pultruded profiles which are well suited for high performance applications. Remarkable pull speeds of up to 72 inches per minute were achieved in the pultrusion trials, while maintaining excellent pot life. The cured profiles exhibit high glass transition temperatures, indicating efficient curing during the short residence time in the die.

References: 1. “Pultrusion 101,” Website of the Pultrusion Industry Council of the American Composites Manufacturers Association, 3033 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201. 2018. 2. M. Watkins. Laboratory Evaluation of Anhydride-Epoxy Formulations for Pultrusion. Thermoset Resin Formulators Association. Tampa, Florida, March 6-8, 2016. 3. M. Watkins. Chemistry and Performance of Specialty Epoxy Resins - A Review. Thermoset Resin Formulators Association. Orlando, Florida, October 29 - 30, 2012. 4. A. Campanella, M. Watkins, D. Drab and K. Shah. High Reactive Curing Agents for Pultrusion Applications. Thermoset Resin Formulators Association Raleigh. North Carolina, March 5-7, 2017. 5. M. Watkins, A. Campanella and K. Shah. New Pre-Catalyzed Anhydride Curing Agents for High Performance Epoxy Pultrusions. The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo. Dallas, Texas, October 15-18, 2018 6. A. Campanella, K. Shah, M. Watkins and V. Mishra. New High Reactive Anhydride Curing Agents for Pultrusion Applications. North American Pultrusion Conference. Rosemont, IL, April 8-10, 2019. 7. C. Hiel. Two Pultruded Product & Process Innovations. ACMA North American Pultrusion Conference. Atlanta, GA, April 4-5, 2017.

Conference: CAMX 2019

Publication Date: 2019/09/23

SKU: TP19-0704

Pages: 12

Price: $24.00