Liquid crystal epoxy resins based on biphenyl group cured with aromatic amines - Studied by dielectric spectroscopy

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the dielectric response of cured epoxy resins based on biphenyl group. We chose two monomers, which were earlier synthesised, containing the same mesogen but with long and short symmetric tails. They were cured with standard amines (DDM, DMAP). Firstly we optimised conditions of the curing process by dielectric and optical observation in situ. Small differences in the dynamics of the curing process were observed in different mixtures. For the four selected products we made dielectric measurements in a wide range of frequency and temperature. Although, generally, dielectric response is similar in all the cured materials, differences can be seen in the details. At lower temperatures, quite strong relaxation process is seen in all products, its low activation energy points towards a β-process, which appears in many polymers. The Havriliak-Negami formula was fitted to the data and characteristic parameters of the observed relaxation processes were compared in detail. In some cases the α-process also appears. We conclude how the longer spacer and the type of curing process influence the electrical properties of the resin. © 2013 The Author(s).