Thermal Stability and Thermal Degradation of Epoxy Nanocomposites in the Presence of Full Vulcanized Elastomeric Nanoparticles

In this research, the thermal stability and thermal degradation of epoxy resin in the presence of different amounts (0,0.5,11.5) by weight percent of elastomeric nanoparticles have been investigated using Thermal Gravimetric Analysis. The results of derivative thermogravimetrically analysis (DTG), showed that at constant heating rate, by adding 0.5 and 1 wt% of elastomeric nanoparticles to the epoxy resin matrix, the maxi- mum degradation temperature increases and the mechanism of thermal degradation of epoxy resin and epoxy nanocomposites was single step. 1% nanocomposite sample showed highest maximum degradation temperature and also with increasing the heating rate, the temperature of 95% degradation (T95)of pure epoxy resin and epoxy nanocomposite samples increased . On the other hand ,this temperature for 1.5% and 0.5 and 1% nanocomposites was decreased at first and then increased. The activation energy was evaluated with the models of Augis, Ozawa, Horowitz-Metzger, and Friedman, and the results showed that the models of Augis and Ozawa behave similarly to each other. Examination of the master curve of epoxy nanocomposites showed that by adding 0.5 and 1 wt% of elastomeric nanoparticles to the epoxy resin matrix, the degradation reaction mechanism becomes A4.