Koichiro Ogami

Synthesis of a novel epoxy resin containing pyrene moiety and thermal properties of its cured polymer with phenol novolac

A new epoxy resin containing the pyrene moiety in the backbone (3) was synthesized and confirmed by gel permeation chromatography and field-desorption mass spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. In addition, to evaluate the influence of the pyrene moiety on the structure, epoxy resins having an anthrylene moiety (5) and having a phenylene moiety (7) were synthesized. The cured polymer obtained through the curing reaction between 3 and phenol novolac was used for making a comparison of its thermal properties with those obtained from 5, 7, and bisphenol-A (4,4′-isopropylidenediphenyl)-type epoxy resin (Bis-EA). The cured polymer obtained from 3 showed a higher glass transition temperature, lower coefficient of linear thermal expansion, lower moisture absorption, and markedly higher anaerobic char yield at 700°C of 37.6 wt %, which might be attributed to the higher aromaticity of 3 containing the pyrene moiety.

Synthesis of a novel epoxy resin containing diphenylether moiety and thermal properties of its cured polymer with phenol novolac

A new type of epoxy resin containing 4,4′-diphenylether moiety in the backbone (2) was synthesized, and was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, in order to evaluate the influence of 4,4′-diphenylether moiety in the structure, epoxy resins having 4,4′-biphenylene moiety (4) and having 1,4-phenylene moiety (6) in place of 4,4′-diphenylether moiety were synthesized. The cured polymer obtained through the curing reaction between the new diphenylether-containing epoxy resin and phenol novolac was used for making a comparison of its thermal and physical properties with those obtained from 4, 6, and bisphenol-A (4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol) type epoxy resin. The cured polymer obtained from 2 showed markedly higher anaerobic char yield at 700°C of 44.0 wt %, higher fracture toughness, and higher mechanical strength and modulus.