SBIR Phase I: Nano-scale Siloxane Hyperbranched Polymer Particles for Improved Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)项目将为纤维增强复合材料开发增韧的环氧树脂和固化剂系统，这些系统非常适合真空辅助树脂转移模塑(VARTM)等树脂注塑工艺。通常使用端羧基丁腈橡胶增韧环氧树脂会导致较大的弹性颗粒在输液过程中从基质中滤出，从而对流变性产生不利影响。在本项目中，将开发基于超支化聚硅氧烷的纳米粒子来增韧环氧树脂。通过使用这些纳米粒子，可以很容易地完成树脂熔融，避免弹性体粒子的过滤。基于硅氧烷的纳米粒子在固化过程中也有望提高热稳定性。纤维增强复合材料广泛应用于要求轻质高强度的高性能工程应用领域。复合材料行业正朝着VARTM工艺发展。与目前的树脂相比，这些纳米级的环氧树脂具有更好的力学和流变性，成本更低。预计到2012年，复合材料中使用的高价值环氧树脂将达到53,000吨，是全球这一数字的4倍左右。仅树脂的潜在市场就约为2亿美元。采用纳米颗粒增韧树脂的VARTM工艺的树脂供应商将在供应适合于生产环氧树脂的新树脂方面具有竞争优势。

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will develop toughened epoxy resin and hardener systems for fiber reinforced composites that are well suited for resin infusion processes such as Vacuum Assist Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM). The common use of carboxyl-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile rubbers to toughen epoxies results in relatively large elastomeric particles filtering out of the matrix during infusion and, thus, adversely affects rheology. In this project, nano scale particles based upon hyper-branched poly(siloxanes) for toughening epoxies will be developed. Through the use of these nano scale particles, resin fusion will be easily accomplished and the filtering out of the elastomeric particles will be avoided. The siloxane based nano particles are also expected to have improved thermal stability during curing. Fiber reinforced composites are used in a wide range of high performance engineering applications requiring low weight and high strength. The composite industry is moving toward the VARTM process. These nano scale based epoxy resins will be low cost with improved mechanical and rheological properties compared to current resins. The use of high value epoxy resins in composites is projected to be 53,000 tons by 2012, and about 4 times this figure worldwide. The potential market for the resin alone will be approximately $200,000,000. The resin suppliers taking advantage of the VARTM process with nano particle toughened resins will have a competitive advantage in the supply of new resins suited for the manufacture of epoxy resins.