Effect of phosphorus content on thermal behaviour of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A/phosphorus containing amines

Curing of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) with phosphorus containing amide amines i.e. bis[3(3'-aminobenzamido phenyl)]methyl phosphine oxide (MB), bis[3(4'-aminobenzamido phenyl)]methyl phosphine oxide (PB), tris[3(3-aminobenzamido phenyl)] phosphine oxide (MT) and tris[3(4'-aminobenzamido phenyl)] phosphine oxide (PT) and conventionally used curing agent 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (D) was studied by DSC. The amines MB, PB, MT and PT were synthesised in the laboratory and were characterized by determining elemental composition, melting point, and amine equivalent. Structural characterization was done by H-1-NMR and FTIR. The onset temperature of curing depended on the nucleophilicity of the amines and was in the order MTapproximate toMB<PT<PB<D. The exothermic peak temperatures were in the order D>PB>PT>MTapproximate toMB. The char residue of cured epoxy resin was significantly higher when phosphor-us was incorporated in the cured network. Using mixed amine formulations based on amine D and P-containing amines and the molar ratio of these amines could easily control the curing characteristics. A linear relationship between char yield and P-content was observed in such formulations.