Mechanical Properties of Radiation-Curing Vinyl Ester Resin

방사선 경화 비닐에스터 수지의 기계적 특성 연구

Vinyl ester (VE) resins, introduced in the late 1960s, have made large strides in reinforced plastics applications as adhesive and matrix materials on their appropriate mechanical performance characteristics in the glassy state. Generally, VE resins are a group of dimethacrylate resins based on bisphenol A type epoxy resin. They exhibit easy handling properties as well as good resistance to most chemical agents due to their mechanical and thermal properties. In this study, the effects of curing methods of vinyl ester resins on gel contents, flexural strength and dynamic mechanical properties were investigated. Thermal curing (room temperature, $80^{\circ}C$) and electron beam curing were used to crosslink a VE resin/styrene complex (65/35 wt%) with methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO) as a catalyst and an 8 wt% cobalt naphthenate in styrene solution as a accelerator. For the samples, gel contents as well as flexural strength and dynamic mechanical properties were characterized and compared by soxhlet apparatus, universal testing machine (UTM) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). As a result, the electron-cured VE resin was confirmed as a better condition than those for gel contents, flexural strength and dynamic mechanical properties, respectively.