Abstract:
Epoxy resins of increased flexibility and other improved properties are produced by curing a vicinal epoxy resin by combining the resin with a cured amount of a monoamide prepared by the condensation of fatty saturated or unsaturated monocarboxylic acids and polyoxyalkylene polyamines with an amine functionality of about 3 or greater. The cured epoxy resins are useful, for example, as thermal shock resistant encapsulations and adhesives.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to curable epoxy resin formulations. It is known to form epoxy resins by curing a vicinal polyepoxide with curing agents comprising polyamides which are reaction products of polyoxyalkylene polyamines with di- or greater carboxylic acids (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,182,845; 4,179,418; 4,167,498; 4,162,931 and 4,128,525. 
     It has been discovered that curable agents comprising monoamides prepared by the condensation of fatty saturated or unsaturated monocarboxylic acids and polyoxyalkylene polyamines provide curing agents which are effective in providing a high degree of flexibility to cured epoxy resins. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is an epoxy resin composition having super flexibility and being the cured reaction product of a curable admixture which comprises a vicinal polyepoxide and a curing amount of a monoamide prepared by the condensation of fatty monocarboxylic acids and polyoxyalkylene polyamines with an amine functionality of 3 or more. The invention is also the monoamide compositions resulting from the condensation of fatty monocarboxylic acids and polyoxyalkylene polyamines with an amine functionality of 3 or more. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to the instant inventive concept, curing agents for vicinal polyepoxides are novel monoamides of the following general structures: 
     
         H.sub.2 NCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NHCH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2 [OCH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.3)].sub.z NHCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NHCOR    (I) 
    
     where R=--(CH 2 ) x  CH 3  ; x=6-16; z=2.6-33 Or as: ##STR1## where x+y+z=5.3 
     R=(CH 2 ) a  CH 3   
     a=6-16 
     These monoamides can be prepared by the condensation of fatty monocarboxylic acids and polyoxyalkylene polyamines with an amine functionality of 3 or more. 
     Included within the scope of the fatty monocarboxylic acids useful to prepare the above monoamides are oleic, palmitic, stearic, linoleic, linoleic, myristic, lauric, cupric, caprylic, pelargonic, palm oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, tall oil fatty acids and tallow fatty acids. 
     The acid recitation of monocarboxylic acids is only intended to be exemplary of those useful in the invention. Others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     The polyoxyalkylene polyamines useful in the present invention are those which are the precursors of the monoamides depicted above. 
     Generally, the amine cured vicinal polyepoxide containing compositions are organic materials having an average of at least 1.8 reactive 1,2-epoxy groups per molecule. These polyepoxide materials can be monomeric or polymeric, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic, and may be substituted if desired with other substituents besides the epoxy groups; e.g., hydroxyl groups, ether radicals, aromatic halogen atoms and the like. 
     Preferred polyepoxides have epoxy equivalent weights (EEW) of about 185 and are those of glycidyl ethers prepared by epoxidizing the corresponding allyl ethers or reacting, by known procedures, a molar excess of epichlorohydrin and an aromatic polyhydroxy compound; i.e., isopropylidene bisphenol, novolak, resorcinol, etc. The epoxy derivatives of methylene or isopropylidene bisphenols are especially preferred. 
     A widely used class of polyepoxides which are useful according to the instant invention includes the resinous epoxy polyethers obtained by reacting an epihalohydrin, such as epichlorohydrin, and the like, with either a polyhydric phenol or a polyhydric alcohol. An illustrative, but by no means exhaustive, listing of suitable dihydric phenols incldes 4,4&#39;-isopropylidene bisphenol, 2,4&#39;-didhydroxydiphenylethylmethane, 3,3&#39;-dihydroxydiphenyldiethylmethane, 3,4&#39;-dihydroxydiphenylmethylpropylmethane, 2,3&#39;-dihydroxydiphenylphenylmethane, 4,4&#39;-dihydroxydiphenylpropylphenylmethane, 4,4&#39;-dihydroxydiphenylbutylphenylmethane, 2,2&#39;-dihydroxydiphenylditolylmethane, 4,4&#39;-dihydroxydiphenyltolylmethylmethane and the like. Other polyhydric phenols which may also be co-reacted with an epihalohydrin to provide these epoxy polyethers are such compounds as resorcinol, hydroquinone, substituted hydroquinones; e.g., methylhydroquinone, and the like. 
     Among the polyhydric alcohols which can be coreacted with an epihalohydrin to provide these resinous epoxy polyethers are such compounds as ethylene glycol, propylene glycols, butylene glycols, pentane diols, bis(4-hydroxycyclohexyl)dimethylmethane, 1,4-dimethylolbenzene, glycerol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, trimethylolpropane, mannitol, sorbitol, erythritol, pentaerythritol, their dimers, trimers and higher polymers; e.g., polyethylene glycols, polypropylene glycols, triglycerol, dipentaerythritol and the like, polyallyl alcohol, polyhydric thioethers, such as 2,2&#39;-, 3,3&#39;-tetrahydroxydipropylsulfide and the like, mercapto alcohols such a monothioglycerol, dithioglycerol, and the like, polyhydric alcohol partial esters, such as monostearin, pentaerythritol monoacetate, and the like, and halogenated polyhydric alcohols such as the monochlorohydrins of glycerol, sorbitol, pentaerythritol and the like. 
     Another class of polymeric polyepoxides which can be amine cured and are in accordance with the instant invention includes the epoxy novolak resins obtained by reacting, preferably in the presence of a basic catalyst; e.g., sodium or potassium hydroxide, an epihalohydrin, such as epichlorohydrin, with the resinous condensate of an aldehyde; e.g., formaldehyde, and either a monohydric phenol; e.g., phenol itself, of a polyhydric phenol. Further details concerning the nature and preparation of these epoxy novolak resins can be obtained in Lee, H. and Neville, K., Handbook of Epoxy Resins, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1967. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the polyepoxide compositions which are useful according to the practice of the present invention are not limited to those containing the above described polyepoxides, but that these polyepoxides are to be considered merely as being representative of the class of polyepoxides as a whole. 
     Optionally, the epoxy resin formulations of the instant invention can include an &#34;accelerator&#34; to speed the amine cure of the epoxy resin, especially at ambient temperatures. In several applications, such acceleration is beneficial, especially when an epoxy resin is used as an adhesive in flammable environment, thus making elevated temperature cure inconvenient or even hazardous. Lee, H. and Neville, K., Handbook of Epoxy Resins, pp. 7-14, describes the use of certain amine containing compounds as epoxy curing agent-accelerators. 
     Many accelerators are known in the art which can be utilized in accordance with the instant invention. Examples include salts of phenols; salicyclic acids; amine salts of fatty acids such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,901, and tertiary amines such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,480. A preferred accelerator in accordance with the instant invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,072 issued to G. Waddill, Apr. 1, 1975. The accelerator comprises a combination of piperazine and an alkanolamine in a weight ratio of about 1:8 to 1:1. 
     Additionally, conventional pigments, dyes, fillers, flame retarding agents and the like which are compatible, and natural or synthetic resins can be added. Furthermore, although not preferred, known solvents for polyepoxide materials such as toluene, benzene, xylene, dioxane, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and the like can be used. 
     The following examples illustrate the nature of the instant invention but are not intended to be limitative thereof. 
    
    
     EXAMPLE 1 
     
         ______________________________________Typical Preparation of Monoamide of JEFFAMINE ® T-403.sup.1       Molecular               Charge,       Weight  Moles   Weight  g______________________________________ReactantsJEFFAMINE T-403.sup.1         493       1.05    517   517Tall oil fatty         289.8     1.0     289.8 290acid.sup.2AzeotropeToluene, ml                           100______________________________________ ##STR2##- - .sup.2 ACINTOL ® EPG (saponification value = 200), a product of Arizona Chemical Co. 
    
     Reactants, azeotrope were added to the reaction flask equipped with stirrer, N 2  inlet tube, thermometer, Dean-Stark trap, overhead cold water condenser. Reactants were heated to reflux (155°-255° C.) while removing water. Reaction time ˜6 hours. After water removal, the product was stripped under vacuum to remove solvent. 
     Properties of Product 
     Total acetylatables, meq/g: 3.14 
     Total amine, meq/g: 3.06 
     Primary amine, meq/g: 2.60 
     Brookfield viscosity, cps, 25° C.: 350 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     
         ______________________________________Properties of Epoxy Resin CuredWith JEFFAMINE T-403 Monoamide          A     B       C       D______________________________________FormulationLiquid epoxy resin            100     100     100   100(EEW˜185)JEFFAMINE T-403  90      --      --    --MonooleamideJEFFAMINE T-403  --      90      --    --Mono (tall oilAcid Amide)JEFFAMINE T-403  --      --      85    --MonopalmitamideJEFFAMINE T-403                        42Properties of Cured1/8th in. Castings:.sup.1Izod impact strength, ft/lbs/in            1.26    1.93    1.54  0.68Tensile strength, psi            3600    2700    5100  9500Tensile modulus, psi            186000  122000  241000                                  418000Elongation at break, %            61      67.5    8.6   6.7Flexural strength, psi            7000    4200    9600  15500Flexural modulus, psi            199000  141000  286000                                  437000HDT, °C., 264 psi/66 psi            34.5/38 30/33   36/38 83/87Shore D hardness, 0-10 sec            74-70   71-64   75-71 78-75______________________________________ .sup.1 Cured 2 hours at 80° C.; 3 hours at 125° C. 
    
     EXAMPLE 3 
     
         ______________________________________Properties of Epoxy Resin Cured With Mixtures ofN--Aminoethylpiperazine (AEP) andJEFFAMINE T-403 Monoamides          A     B       C       D______________________________________FormulationsLiquid epoxy resin            100     100     100   100(EEW˜185)N--Aminoethylpiperazine            24      18      18    18JEFFAMINE T-403 Oleamide            --      18      --    --JEFFAMINE T-403  --      --      18    --Tall oil acid amideJEFFAMINE T-403  --      --      --    18MonopalmitamideProperties of Cured1/8th in. castings:.sup.1Izod impact strength, ft-lbs/in            0.25    0.12    0.27  0.20Tensile strength, psi            9600    9400    9300  9500Tensile modulus, psi            329000  406000  403000                                  397000Elongation at break, %            8.4     9.4     4.8   7.4Flexural strength, psi            14100   16400   16100 15600Flexural modulus, psi            362000  415000  401000                                  417000HDT, °C., 264 psi/66 psi            99/106  74/80   74/80 73/80Shore D hardness, 0-10 sec            79-77   78-76   78-76 77-75______________________________________ .sup.1 Cured 2 hours 80°, 3 hours 125° C. 
    
     EXAMPLE 4 
     
         ______________________________________Adhesive Properties: Curing with Blends of N--Aminoethyl-piperazine and JEFFAMINE T-403 Tall Oil Acid Amide              A     B       C______________________________________FormulationLiquid epoxy resin (EEW˜185)                100     100     100N--Aminoethylpiperazine                23      14.5    11.4JEFFAMINE T-403 Tall Oil                --      33.5    45.6Acid MonoamideAdhesive Properties.sup.1Tensile shear strength, psi                3000    3000    3400T-peel strength, psi 1.5     3.3     3.2______________________________________ .sup.1 Cured 2 hours at 110° C.