Thermosetting Resins from Blends of Ethnyl Terminated Materials

As part of a program on high performance adhesives and composite matrices for aerospace structural applications, work was performed on new 177°C performing thermosets. An ethynyl terminated aspartimide and an ethynyl terminated imidothioether were blended with ethynyl terminated arylene ether oligomers of various molecular weights and the blends were thermally cured. The crosslink density of the thermoset was controlled by composition, cure temperature and time. Electron beam radiation exposure provided results similar to those obtained from isothernal aging of specimens at elevated temperatures. Neat resin, adhesive and composite properties of various thermosets are presented.