Epoxy Curing Agent with Cyclohexanetricarboxylic Acid Anhydride
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing epoxy resin curing agents require the addition of expensive and complex curing accelerators, which can degrade the color tone and strength of the cured product, and do not provide adequate light and heat stability.
Innovation Solution
A curing agent comprising a mixture of trans,trans-1,2,4-cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid anhydride and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid anhydride, which is liquid at room temperature, allowing for effective curing of epoxy resins without accelerators and resulting in products with excellent light transmittance and heat stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If alicyclic dicarboxylic acid anhydride is used as curing agent, then easy handling is achieved, but curing reactivity is insufficient requiring accelerators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines alicyclic dicarboxylic acid anhydride with a specific curing accelerator to create a composite curing system. This composite approach allows the mixture to maintain the liquid state and handling ease of the anhydride while the accelerator component provides the necessary reactivity enhancement to achieve sufficient curing without requiring excessive amounts of accelerator.
2Reliability
If curing accelerator is added to achieve sufficient curing, then curing reactivity is improved, but cost increases and color tone deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameter of the curing accelerator within a specific range (0.1-5 parts by mass per 100 parts of anhydride). By precisely controlling this parameter, the system achieves sufficient curing reactivity while minimizing accelerator用量, thereby reducing cost and avoiding color tone deterioration that occurs with excessive accelerator amounts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent identifies and replicates the optimal composition ratio between anhydride and accelerator through systematic experimentation. Once the optimal ratio is determined, this standardized formulation can be consistently reproduced, ensuring reliable curing performance without requiring expensive trial-and-error adjustments in manufacturing.
3Reliability
If curing accelerator is used in great amount to ensure curing, then curing completeness is improved, but strength decreases and color tone deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes an upper limit for accelerator concentration (5 parts by mass per 100 parts of anhydride) beyond which strength and color tone deteriorate. By controlling the accelerator amount within the optimal range, the system achieves complete curing while maintaining the mechanical strength and optical properties of the cured product.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables easy handling and efficient curing of epoxy resins without accelerators, producing transparent and stable cured products suitable for various applications, including LED encapsulation and semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
A curing agent for epoxy resins which comprises cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid anhydride (A) comprising trans,trans-1,2,4-cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid 1,2-anhydride... and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid anhydride (B)
Data Source
AI summary
A curing agent for epoxy resins which comprises cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid anhydride (A) comprising trans,trans-1,2,4-cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid 1,2-anhydride expressed by formula (1) and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid anhydride (B) and an epoxy resin composition which comprises the curing agent and an epoxy resin are provided. The curing agent of the present invention can be handled easily since the curing agent is liquid at the ordinary temperature, exhibits an excellent curing property without addition of a curing accelerator and provides a cured product of an epoxy resin exhibiting excellent transmission of light and heat stability. The epoxy resin composition can be advantageously used for coating materials, adhesives, molded products, resins for encapsulating photo-semiconductors and coating fluids for protective films of color filters constituting liquid crystal display devices (LCD), solid state imaging devices (CCD) and electroluminescence (EL) devices.