Epoxy Resin Composition for Rapid Low-Temperature Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current epoxy resin compositions used in fiber-reinforced composite materials require long curing times at high temperatures, leading to inadequate impact resistance and increased production costs, while existing solutions either have insufficient curing properties or compromised mechanical properties.
Innovation Solution
An epoxy resin composition with specific components, including reactive products of epoxy resins and amine compounds with sulfur atoms, polyamide compounds, urea compounds, and dicyandiamide, which allows for rapid curing at low temperatures, enhancing mechanical properties and impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If epoxy resin composition with high reaction activity is used to shorten curing time, then curing time is reduced, but storage stability deteriorates and impact resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the epoxy resin system by incorporating specific amine compounds with sulfur atoms (such as diaminodiphenyl sulfone and diaminodiphenyl sulfide) in controlled proportions. This compositional parameter change enables the resin to achieve rapid curing at low temperatures without excessive cross-linking density, thereby maintaining storage stability while reducing curing time. The specific formulation (epoxy resin 100 parts by mass, amine compound 20-80 parts by mass based on epoxy equivalent) optimizes the reaction kinetics to balance curing speed and storage performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite epoxy resin system by combining multiple components: base epoxy resin, amine compounds containing sulfur atoms (both aromatic and aliphatic types), and optional polyamide compounds. This composite material approach allows the system to exhibit synergistic effects where the amine compounds with sulfur atoms provide rapid curing capability while the specific formulation prevents excessive cross-linking, thus achieving both short curing time and good storage stability simultaneously.
2Loss of time
If epoxy resin composition with high reaction activity is used to shorten curing time, then curing time is reduced, but impact resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the cross-linking density parameter by carefully selecting the type and proportion of amine compounds. The use of amine compounds with sulfur atoms (particularly aromatic amine compounds like diaminodiphenyl sulfone) in specific amounts (20-80 parts by mass per 100 parts epoxy resin) modifies the curing kinetics to achieve rapid gelation without creating excessive cross-linking density. This parameter optimization ensures short curing time while maintaining adequate impact resistance by preventing the cured material from becoming overly brittle.
Solution Approach 2:
The amine compounds containing sulfur atoms act as intermediaries in the curing reaction. These compounds facilitate rapid curing at low temperatures while their specific molecular structure (containing sulfur atoms in aromatic or aliphatic chains) moderates the cross-linking process. This intermediary role allows the system to achieve fast curing kinetics without the severe side effect of excessive cross-linking density that would compromise impact resistance.
3Reliability
If heating treatment is applied to cure prepreg, then curing is achieved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the curing parameter requirements by formulating an epoxy resin composition that cures rapidly at low temperatures. The specific composition (epoxy resin with amine compounds containing sulfur atoms) shifts the curing characteristics from requiring high temperature and long time to enabling low temperature and short time processing. This parameter transformation allows complete curing to be achieved in just a few minutes at room temperature or slightly elevated temperatures, dramatically reducing production time while ensuring complete curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the curing process to rush through quickly by utilizing the high reactivity of the amine compound-epoxy resin system. The rapid gelation and curing kinetics allow the process to complete in minutes rather than hours, effectively skipping through the lengthy heating and curing phases that characterize conventional epoxy systems. This rushing through of the curing process achieves complete polymerization without requiring extended high-temperature treatment.
4Productivity
If high temperature heating is used for curing, then curing speed increases, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter for curing from high temperature to low temperature processing. The formulated epoxy resin composition (with amine compounds containing sulfur atoms) inherently provides rapid curing capability at low temperatures, eliminating the need for energy-intensive high-temperature heating. This parameter change maintains fast curing speed while dramatically reducing energy consumption and associated production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal energy input mechanism (high-temperature heating) with a chemically-driven curing mechanism. The high reactivity of the amine compound-epoxy resin system provides the necessary curing驱动力 through chemical energy rather than requiring external thermal energy input. This substitution of the curing mechanism eliminates the need for expensive high-temperature heating equipment and energy consumption, achieving fast curing through chemical formulation rather than thermal processing.
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 composition enables rapid curing at low temperatures, resulting in fiber-reinforced composite products with improved mechanical properties and impact resistance, reducing production time and costs while maintaining excellent mechanical strength.
Implementation Method 1
reactive products of epoxy resins and amine compounds including the sulfur atom in its molecule
Data Source
AI summary
By completing curing in a short period of time even at low temperatures and using an epoxy resin composition as a matrix resin of a prepreg, it is possible to obtain a fiber-reinforced composite plastic product such as a fiber-reinforced tubular composite with excellent mechanical properties and, more particularly, excellent impact resistance. The epoxy resin composition includes A component, B component, C component, D component and E component, where the content rate of sulfur atoms is equal to or more than 0.2 wt % and equal to or less than 7 wt %, and the content rate of the C component is equal to or more than 1 wt % and equal to or less than 15 wt %. A component: epoxy resins, B component: reactive products of the epoxy resins and an amine compounds including the sulfur atom in a molecule (the unreacted epoxy resins and/or the amine compounds may be included), C component: polyamide compounds soluble in the A component, D component: urea compounds, and E component: dicyandiamide.