Investigation of Thermal and Ablative Properties of Modified Epoxy Resins

Abstract

The present work investigates the ablative and thermal properties of epoxy resins modified with silicon carbide (SiC) and tungsten carbide (WC). The properties of two epoxy resins (Epidian 52 cured with triethylenetetraamine and Epidian 112 cured with polyaminoamide) were investigated in this study. Statistical methods for planning experiments were used, and the effect of components on thermal protective properties of epoxy composites established. It was shown that the best thermal protective properties, i.e. the lowest temperature of the rear surface area and the lowest ablative weight loss (the highest thermal stability) were exhibited by the composite based on Epidian 112 containing 56% of silicon carbide SiC and 14% of tungsten carbide WC. A more stabilized ablative layer and limited erosion were obtained with higher SiC content. Moreover, the type of polymer matrix had the most significant effect on the value of the maximum temperature of the rear surface area.