Two-component adhesive of epoxy resins and amine compound

1. A two-component epoxy adhesive composition comprising

a) a first component comprising a first epoxy resin and a second epoxy resin, the second epoxy resin being flexibilized by an elastomer, and

b) a second component comprising at least one amine compound with one or more primary and/or secondary amino groups, said amine compound having a molecular weight of less than about 450 g/mol,

wherein the weight ratio of the first component a) to the second component b) is from about 2:1 to about 10:1, the ratio of the total number of amino groups of the amine compound to the total number of epoxy groups of the epoxy resins is about 0.06:1 to about 0.2:1, and the reaction of the two components a) and b) after mixing results in a wash-off resistant composition, said wash-off resistant composition resulting upon heat-curing in a crash-stable structural adhesive.

2. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amine compound is selected from the group consisting of 4,7,10-trioxatridecan-1,13-diamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine tetraethylenepentamine, aminoethylpiperazine, polyetherdiamines and polyethertriamines.

3. A composition according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the two components a) and b) comprises a toughener.

4. A composition according to claim 3 , wherein the toughener is selected from the group consisting of compounds of Formula I

wherein m is 1 or 2, n is 2 to 6, R 1 is an n-valent radical of an elastomeric prepolymer after the removal of the terminal isocyanate, amino or hydroxyl group, the elastomeric prepolymer being soluble or dispersible in epoxy resin, W and X are independently —O— or —NR 3 —, at least one of W and X being —NR 3 —, R 2 is an m+1-valent radical of a polyphenol or aminophenol after the removal of the phenolic hydroxyl group and optionally of the amino group, and R 3 is hydrogen, a C 1 -C 6 alkyl or phenol,

and compounds of Formula II

wherein p is 1 or 2, q is 2 to 6, Y is —O—, —S— or NR 6 —, Z is a radical selected from the group consisting of —OH, —NHR 6 , —OCN,

R 4 is a residue of a hydroxyl-, mercapto- or amino-terminated polyether prepolymer or of a hydroxyl-, mercapto- or amino-terminated prepolymeric, segmented polyester, polythioester or polyamid, R 5 is a carbocyclic aromatic or araliphatic p+1-valent radical with groups Z bonded directly to the aromatic ring, R 6 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl or phenyl, and R 7 is methyl or hydrogen,

or a mixture thereof.

5. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the elastomer flexibilizing the second epoxy resin is an acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber.

6. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two components a) and b) comprises a latent hardener in a total amount of less than about 10 weight percent based on the total weight of the composition.

7. A composition according to claim 6 , the latent hardener being dicyandiamide.

8. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the second component b) comprises a hydrophobic diluent.

9. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two components a) and b) comprises one or more additives selected from the group of latent accelerators, adhesion promoters, epoxy silane, fumed silica, wetting agents and inorganic fillers.

10. A composition according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the two components a) and b) comprises at least one tertiary mono- or polyamine or a mixture thereof as accelerator, the tertiary mono- or polyamine being embedded in a polymer matrix if comprised in component a).

11. A composition according to claim 3 , wherein

a) the first component comprises about 30 to about 80 weight percent of the first epoxy resin, about 5 to about 30 weight percent of the second epoxy resin and about 20 weight percent or less of the toughener,

b) the second component comprises about 1 to about 40 weight percent of the amine compound, about 10 to about 80 weight percent of the toughener and about 10 to about 30 weight percent of the hydrophobic diluent,

and at least one of the two components a) and b) comprises an inorganic filler, epoxy silane, a wetting agent, fumed silica, a latent hardener, a latent accelerator or a mixture thereof.

12. A wash-off resistant epoxy adhesive composition obtained by mixing the first component a) and the second component b) according to claim 1 .

13. A wash-off resistant epoxy adhesive composition obtained by mixing the first component a) and the second component b) according to claim 1 and pre-curing the resulting mixture by thermal methods.