ABSTRACT
282The objective of the present work is to synthesize N,N’-Tetraglycidylbis amine-phenoxy benzene (TGBAPB) epoxy resin using 1,4-bis (4-amine-phenoxy) benzene (BAPB) and epichlorohydrin. The molecular weight was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and equivalent weight by means of epoxy equivalent weight (EEW) titration. The amino-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) was synthesized via octa(nitrophenyl)silsesquioxane (ONPS) method and its molecular structure has been confirmed by Fourier Transform-Infra Red spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (NMR). The TGBAPB epoxy resin was further reinforced using POSS with varying weight percentages (1–5 wt.%) and cured with diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM). Thermomechanical behavior of TGBAPB epoxy matrix and nanocomposites were examined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry. The surface morphology of the epoxy nanocomposites was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM) studies.
