In this work the reaction of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and epoxy resin (BADGE) in the presence of N,N-dimethylbenzylamine (DMBA) was studied. The reaction products were evaluated by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and viscosity measurements. Samples cured with a polyamine-based hardener were also submitted to tensile tests and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results of the viscosity analyses, FTIR and RMN (¹H) confirmed the reaction between DGEBA epoxy groups and PEG hydroxyl groups in the presence of DMBA, at 100 ºC. DSC analyses and tensile tests of cured systems showed that the reaction of DGEBA with PEG leads to a reduction of Tg, generating a more flexible material.
BADGE; polyethylene glycol; DMBA; mechanical properties
