Novel trifluoromethylated epoxy based thermosets: synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Two series of trifluoromethylated crosslinked epoxy-based polymers with different molecular architecture and fluorine content (from 1 to 5 in weights) have been investigated. The epoxy monomer was a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), and the curing agents were 3-(trifluoromethyl)aniline (TFA) and 4,4´-methylenebis(3-chloro 2,6-diethylaniline) (MCDEA). The structural parameters of networks such as gelation and vitrification, and the properties of the resulting fluorinated materials were investigated and compared. Final materials showed high transparency with an ultraviolet-visible absorption cut-off between 350 and 380 nm, low moisture (0.60 %), and a decrease in dielectric constants from 6.3 to 5.2 with increasing fluorine content.