Abstract
Epoxy/acrlylic interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were prepared by the UV-irradiated polymerization of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (Epikote 828) and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A diacrylate (Ripoxy 1509) using bis- [4- (diphenylsulfonio) phenyl] sulfide bis-hexafluorophosphate as a photoinitiator. The curing of epoxy/acrylic composition was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry where two exothermal peaks were observed. It was found that the first peak was based on the radical polymerization of acrylate and the second one the cationic polymerization of epoxide from the reaction product analysis by IR technique. The resulting epoxy/acrylic IPNs were characterized by the dynamic mechanical analysis and scanning electronic microscopy. The mechanical properties of IPNs and their parent networks were also measured.
