The fracture of an epoxy polymer containing elastomeric modifiers

Abstract

The fracture energies of elastomer-modified epoxy polymers have been determined over a range of strain rates from 10−2 to 103 sec−1. The modifiers included a liquid carboxyterminated butadiene acrylonitrile and a solid rubber. They were used alone and also in combination. In all cases, the modifiers increased the toughness of the base resin by orders of magnitude and one combination of liquid and solid rubber increased toughness by 60 times. There was a general decrease in fracture energy with increasing strain rate but even during impact testing the modified epoxys were 10 to 20 times tougher than the base polymer. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that, when combined with the liquid rubber, the solid rubber induced a localized shear yielding.