{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ScholarlyArticle","headline":"Toughness response of vinylester/epoxy‐based thermosets of interpenetrating network structure as a function of the epoxy resin formulation: Effects of the cyclohexylene linkage","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"J. Karger‐Kocsis"},{"@type":"Person","name":"O. Gryshchuk"},{"@type":"Person","name":"N. Jost"}],"datePublished":"2003-3-6","isPartOf":{"@type":"Periodical","name":"Unknown Journal"},"identifier":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.11946","description":"AbstractVinylester/epoxy (VE/EP)‐based thermosets of interpenetrating network (IPN) structures were produced by using a VE resin (bismethacryloxy derivative of a bisphenol A–type EP resin) with aliphatic (Al‐EP) and cycloaliphatic (Cal‐EP) EP resins. Curing of the EP resins occurred either with an aliphatic (Al‐Am) or cycloaliphatic diamine compound (Cal‐Am). Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) suggested the presence of an interpenetrating network (IPN) in the resulting thermosets. Fracture toughness (Kc) and fracture energy (Gc) were used as the toughness characterization parameters of the linear elastic fracture mechanics. Unexpectedly high Kc and Gc data were found for the systems containing cyclohexylene units in the EP network, such as VE/Al‐EP+Cal‐Am and VE/Cal‐EP+Al‐Am. This was attributed to the beneficial effects of the conformational changes of the cyclohexylene linkages (chair/boat), which were closely analogous to those in some thermoplastic copolyesters. The failure mode of the VE/EP thermoset combinations was studied in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2124–2131, 2003","url":"https://innscience.ca/en/community/literature/7889f568-8410-4712-8462-cb7c6f9b1c16"}