Overview of EP114
Master Bond EP114 is a two-component nano silica filled epoxy system which offers excellent dimensional stability and a very high glass transition temperature (Tg > 200°C upon curing. Its ultra-low initial mixed viscosity (500–1500 cps at room temperature) can be further reduced by preheating to a slightly higher temperature, making EP114 ideal for vacuum infiltration to produce dense nanocomposites, as shown in the case study below.
Application
Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) and boron-nitride nanoplatelets (BNNP) show promising application prospects in electric double-layer capacitors due to their large surface area. However, they tend to agglomerate due to van der Waals forces and π-π interactions, leading to a lower surface area and ultimately a reduction in the specific capacity of capacitors. Agglomeration can be prevented by fabricating GNP and BNNP into three-dimensional foams, but the resulting foams often show insufficient mechanical strength and require reinforcement. Vacuum infiltration with an epoxy resin provides a reinforcement method that does not compromise the toughness of nanocomposite foams, but the chosen epoxy resin must have an appropriately low viscosity to penetrate the foam. Master Bond EP114 has a sufficiently low viscosity for vacuum infiltration, so researchers at Florida International University used it to investigate interactions between freeze-dried GNP/BNNP foams and EP114 to understand its infiltration behavior.
To read about the key parameters, requirements, and results, please download the full case study.
Reference
Benedetti, L.; Orikasa, K.; Agarwal, A. The Effect of Different GNP/BNNP Foam Structures in the Infiltration of Epoxy Resin: A Fundamental Study. Polymer Composites. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.28070.