THERMO-PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF LIGHT WEIGHT EPOXY FOAMED BY SILOXANE BLOWING AGENT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the direct effect of using a blowing agent of siloxane (1, 1, 3, 3-tetramethydisiloxane) on the thermo-physical properties of the foamed epoxy. These properties are: density, glass-transition temperature, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion. The work has been conducted experimentally by manufacturing several specimens with different siloxane contents as: 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%. The properties of the specimens have tested under suitable conditions using different reliable instruments: differential scanning calorimetry, Lee-discs apparatus, and push rod dilatometer. Scanning electron microscope was used as well to analysis the morphological characteristics of the epoxy with respect to the pores generated by the blowing agent. In general, the foamed epoxy has shown different sizes of pores and extra crosslinking which leads to increase the glass-transition temperature of the material. Results show that the addition of 20% siloxane to the neat epoxy (as maximum) leads to: decreasing by 50% in bulk density, increasing by 20% in glass-transition temperature, decreasing by 30% in thermal conductivity, and decreasing by 75% in thermal expansion.