The Effect of Even-Odd Methylene Spacer Groups on the Thermal Stability of Epoxy-Amine Polymers

A series of some novel epoxy-amine polymers was successfully synthesized by using DGEBA and aromatic diamines as starting materials. The cured free standing flexible polymer films were characterized by FTIR, DSC, TGA, and WAXD. The values of T-g decreased as the length of the central methylene spacers increased. This decrease in T-g values occurred in a zig-zag fashion affirming an even-odd effect. Epoxy-amine polymers containing even number of methylene spacers showed remarkably higher T-g values as compared to the polymers containing an odd number of methylene spacers. TGA analysis revealed that epoxy-amine polymers exhibited thermal stability upto 340 degrees C. The length of central methylene spacers showed no significant detrimental effect on the degradation temperatures of the polymers. XRD data of epoxy-amine polymers showed their amorphous nature.