Development of Cycloaliphatic Epoxy-POSS Nanocomposite Matrices with Enhanced Resistance to Atomic Oxygen

Abstract

The preparation of ultra-thin CFRP laminates, which incorporate a cycloaliphatic epoxy resin reinforced with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) reagent nanofiller, using out-of-autoclave procedure is reported. The influence of the amount of POSS within the laminate on the mechanical properties and surface roughness of the laminates is analysed before and after exposure to atomic oxygen (AO) to simulate the effects of low Earth orbit (LEO). The addition of 5 wt% POSS to the base epoxy leads to an increase in both flexural strength and modulus, but these values begin to fall as the POSS content rises, possibly due to issues with agglomeration. The addition of POSS offers improved resistance against AO degradation with the laminates containing 20 wt% POSS demonstrating the lowest erosion yield (1.67 × 10−24 cm2/atom) after the equivalent of a period of 12 months in a simulated LEO environment. Exposure to AO promotes the formation of a silicon-rich coating layer on the surface of the laminate, which in turn reduces roughness and increases stiffness, as evidenced by measurements of flexural properties and spectral data after exposure.

Synthesis and Thermal Degradation Study of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) Modified Phenolic Resin

“…Unlike traditional organic materials, POSS, as a silicone compound, has the advantages of being nonvolatile, odorless, environmentally friendly, and so on. According to current reports, POSS modified polymers include polyethylene [10], vinyl ester [11][12][13], epoxy resin [14,15], phenolic resin [16][17][18], etc.…”

Molecular-Level Investigation of Cycloaliphatic Epoxidised Ionic Liquids as a New Generation of Monomers for Versatile Poly(Ionic Liquids)

“…Prepolymers based on cycloaliphatic epoxy monomers present several advantages compared to diglycidyl ether derivative monomers, namely low viscosity, high electrical resistivity, and UV resistance [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Considering these outstanding features, numerous works have investigated cycloaliphatic epoxy precursors for different applications including the coating of electronic components, electrical insulation, and the development of optical devices [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Owing to their higher chemical reactivity compared to Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA), cycloaliphatic epoxy monomers can go through a homopolymerisation pathway under thermal or photoinitiated conditions.…”

Enhanced mechanical properties of epoxy composites using cellulose micro‐ and nano‐crystals

“…31 The incorporation of modified CNCs at 0.5 wt% resulted in significant improvements in tensile strength, modulus, and thermal stability. 32 To address gaps in previous research, our study investigates the effects of both CNCs and MCC on epoxy composites using consistent epoxy components and preparation conditions. We introduce a novel dimension by examining the impact of oven drying MCC and CNC before epoxy composite preparation, offering insights into their reinforcing effects before and after the drying process.…”