Homo-, co- or multicomponent thermoplastic polymer dispersed in a thermoset resin

This invention provides the design and synthetic procedure for a thermoplastic copolymer which can be co-reacted with XU8212 (or any DGEBA or novolac epoxy resin) to enhance fracture toughness, processibility, and drillability without sacrificing other desirable properties such as high temperature performance, thermal stability, etc. A requirement for the thermoplastic copolymers is that they be initially soluble in the XU 8212 resin and then undergo an in-situ phase separation process as the network cure progresses. Furthermore, the thermoplastic modifier must be soluble in methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) for conventional processing techniques to be utilized to fabricate the Clark boards. This approach to a thermoplastic modifier would permit use of the existing resin and panel fabrication process but enhance the material mechanical properties for improved processability and product reliability.