Fast cure epoxy resin compositions
View Patent ↗Disclosed herein is an epoxy resin compositions comprising an epoxy component and a curing agent component, wherein the curing agent component is at least an aminoalkylimidazole curing agent, and wherein the epoxy component and the curing agent component react together at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 130° C. to form a substantially cured reaction product in about 10 minutes or less. Further disclosed are composite products formed from such epoxy resin compositions.
1. An epoxy resin composition comprising:
an epoxy component; and
a curing component consisting of (a) an aminoalkylimidazole curing agent represented by the following structure:
wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl or aryl; and n is an integer from 2 to 6, and
(b) a hardener chosen from isophorone diamine (IPDA), 1,3-(bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane (BAC), bis-(p-aminocyclohexyl)methane (PACM), diethylenetriamine (DETA), triethylenetetraamine (TETA), tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA), 4,7,10-trioxatridecane-1,13-diamine (TTD) and mixtures thereof;
wherein the epoxy component is present in an amount of 70 wt % to 94 wt % by weight of the composition, the aminoalkylimidazole curing agent is present in an amount of 5 wt % to 10 wt % by weight of the composition, and the hardener is present in an amount of 1 wt % to 25 wt % by weight of the composition; and
wherein, upon curing at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 130° C., the epoxy component and the curing component react together to form a substantially cured reaction product in about 10 minutes or less.
2. The epoxy resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the aminoalkylimidazole curing agent is 1-(3-aminopropyl)-imidazole or 1-aminoethyl-2-methylimidazole.
3. The epoxy resin composition of claim 1 wherein the epoxy component comprises a single epoxy resin or a blend of epoxy resins.
4. A composite product comprising reinforcing fibres impregnated with the epoxy resin composition of claim 1 .
5. The composite product of claim 4 , wherein the reinforcing fibres are in the form of woven or non-crimp fabrics, or nonwoven webs or mats.
6. The composite product of claim 4 , wherein the reinforcing fibres are chosen from fibreglass, carbon fibres, polyaramide fibres, poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) fibres, polyethylene fibres, polypropylene fibres, nylon fibres, and combinations thereof.
7. A cured composite product derived from curing the composite product of claim 4 , wherein the cured product has a glass transition temperature T g of about 130° C. or greater.