| Abstract Scope |
With the advantageous properties of high specific strength and excellent thermal and chemical stability, it is no surprise that the use of thermoset materials is so prevalent in many industries. However, their susceptibility to high-temperature oxidative degradation poses significant challenges to their long-term performance and reliability. These materials are frequently used in extreme environments where they are exposed to high temperatures, UV radiation, and other degradation-inducing conditions in which they must retain their desirable properties. Recent innovation in materials research has uncovered the ability to create thermoset materials with non-permanent networks. With these materials being in the early stages of development, there is little data showing their long-term performance. Understanding how these materials degrade under extreme conditions is vital if they are ever to be utilized as traditional thermosets are today. In this study, we are conducting high-temperature oxidative aging experiments on a traditional, commercially available epoxy as well as a recently developed recyclable epoxy material, vitrimer. These in-house-synthesized materials are subjected to accelerated aging in a controlled environmental chamber where they are exposed to temperatures above their glass transition temperature for extended periods of time. Samples are removed from the chamber periodically to assess their post-oxidation performance via mechanical testing, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and optical microscopy. The goal of the present study is to comparatively assess the long-term sustainability of a class of recyclable epoxy and standard epoxy to ensure whether the recyclable epoxy can be used as a sustainable matrix for future applications. |