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Author ORCID Identifier
N/A
AccessType
Open Access Dissertation
Document Type
dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Program
Polymer Science and Engineering
Year Degree Awarded
2017
Month Degree Awarded
September
First Advisor
Shaw Ling Hsu
Subject Categories
Astrophysics and Astronomy | Automotive Engineering | Biological and Chemical Physics | Biomaterials | Biomechanics and Biotransport | Catalysis and Reaction Engineering | Chemistry | Condensed Matter Physics | Construction Engineering and Management | Electromagnetics and Photonics | Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing | Engineering Physics | Engineering Science and Materials | Environmental Engineering | Materials Science and Engineering | Polymer Science | Space Vehicles | Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics | Structures and Materials | Thermodynamics
Abstract
A uniform dispersion of reactants is necessary to achieve a complete reaction involving multi-components, especially for the crosslinking of rigid high-performance materials. In these reactions, miscibility is crucial for curing efficiency. This miscibility is typically enhanced by adding a third component, a plasticizer. For the reaction of the highly crystalline crosslinking agent hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) with a strongly hydrogen-bonded phenol formaldehyde resin, furfural has been traditionally used as the plasticizer. However, the reason for its effectiveness is not clear. In this doctoral thesis work, miscibility and crosslinking efficiency of plasticizers in phenolic curing reactions are studied by thermal analysis and spectroscopic methods to elucidate the role of furfural. By combining information from NMR, infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, we show that the presence of furfural increases segmental mobility, disrupts the hydrogen-bonded matrix and frees the hydroxyl units, which further increases HMTA solubility. The higher solubility and segmental mobility increases the extent of crosslinking in the phenolic system. Extent of crosslinking is determined from the spin lattice relaxation time T1 measured by low field NMR (LFNMR). We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method for phenolic systems, where others methods like infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry are inappropriate. For validation, we have also correlated extent of crosslinking with T1 using epoxy. The utilization of LFNMR in this work demonstrates its value for characterizing crosslinking of rigid thermosets. Two alternative plasticizers to furfural are substituted in these phenolic curing reactions because of their environmental friendliness: the non-reactive methyl benzoate and the reactive methyl anthranilate. Their effect on the extent of crosslinking is evaluated and compared with the traditional reactive plasticizers furfuryl alcohol and furfural.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/10103027.0
Recommended Citation
Patel, Jigneshkumar, "ANALYSES OF DENSELY CROSSLINKED PHENOLIC SYSTEMS USING LOW FIELD NMR" (2017). Doctoral Dissertations. 1116.
https://doi.org/10.7275/10103027.0
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1116
Included in
Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons, Automotive Engineering Commons, Biological and Chemical Physics Commons, Biomaterials Commons, Biomechanics and Biotransport Commons, Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Commons, Chemistry Commons, Condensed Matter Physics Commons, Construction Engineering and Management Commons, Electromagnetics and Photonics Commons, Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing Commons, Engineering Physics Commons, Engineering Science and Materials Commons, Environmental Engineering Commons, Materials Science and Engineering Commons, Polymer Science Commons, Space Vehicles Commons, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics Commons, Structures and Materials Commons, Thermodynamics Commons