STRUCTURE, MODES OF DEFORMATION AND FAILURE, AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF DIAMINODIPHENYL SULFONE-CURED TETRAGLYCIDYL 4,4'-DIAMINODIPHENYL METHANE EPOXY

The tensile mechanical properties of diaminodiphenyl sulphone (DDS) - cured tetraglycidyl 4,4′diaminodiphenyl methane (TGDDM) epoxies [TGDDM-DDS (12 to 35 wt% DDS)] are reported as a function of temperature and strain rate. TGDDM-DDS (20 to 35 wt% DDS) epoxies, which exhibit broad Tgs near 250° C, are not highly cross-linked glasses because diffusional and steric restrictions limit their cross-link density. TGDDM-DDS (10 to 20wt% DDS) epoxies are more brittle with lower Tgs as a result of lower molecular weights and/or lower cross-link densities. Electron diffraction and X-ray emission spectroscopy studies indicate that TGDDM-DDS (>25wt% DDS) epoxies contain crystalline regions of unreacted DDS which can be eliminated from these epoxies during cure resulting in microvoids. TGDDM-DDS (12 to 35wt% DDS) epoxies predominantly deform and fail in tension by crazing, as indicated by fracture topography studies. These glasses also deform by shear banding as indicated by right-angle steps in the fracture topography initiation region and mixed modes of deformation that involve both crazing and shear banding. No evidence was found for heterogeneous cross-link density distributions in TGDDM-DDS (15 to 35wt% DDS) epoxies on straining films in the electron microscope. © 1979 Chapman and Hall Ltd.