In thermosetting epoxies, thermomechanical properties can be enhanced by conscious selection of curing agents. Full cross-linking leads to a maximum in the glass- transition temperature. However, the relation between the glass transition temperature and the epoxy matrix depends on several factors beyond the cross-linking degree, such as the molecular weight of the polymers, network organization, amount of branching, and the presence of hydrogen bonds. In this study, we investigated adding non- stoichiometric ratios of the epoxy resin Epikote 828 and the curing agent Jeffamine D230. The investigations were done through a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and experiments, primarily differential scanning calorimetry and nanoindentation. Reorganization of the network to fewer clusters with a higher degree of linearity overcomes the effect of cross-linking and leads to a reduction of glass-transition temperature with increasing concentrations of curing agent to epoxy. The elastic, shear, and compressive moduli remained constant. Hence, moderating the curing agent con- tent has the potential to improve thermal properties while maintaining mechanical properties for this epoxy system.
© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.