A raw material supplier’s investment in data development to supplement sales efforts is expediting commercial acceptance.
The Challenge
A global innovator of intermediates and polymers that find direct applications in textiles, plastics, and other specialty chemicals asked ChemQuest Technology Institute (CQTI) to map and compare the thermophysical properties of a variety of amines reacted with Bisphenol-A liquid epoxy resin.
CQTI went through an extensive testing matrix of 84 different formulations, tested in extensive ASTM test protocols, to determine the strongest performance characteristics and commercial viability.
Design of Experiment Unique to Client Needs
The scientists at CQTI reacted 14 different amines with two different Part As (Bisphenol-A LER and Bisphenol-A LER + reactive liquid diluent) in three different index ratios — resulting in 84 formulations.
Formulas were not fully optimized to specific market needs. Instead, they were developed as proxy indicators for how a specific amine may perform in a formula.
Both liquid and cured films were created for test purposes. Tests included:
- Blushing
- Chemical resistance
- Cure rate (viscosity, dry to touch under varying conditions, and Shore D hardness)
- Pot life
- Viscosity
- Adhesion
- Hardness/scratch resistance
- Flexibility
- Toughness
- Glass transition temperature (Tg)
Results were codified based on relative ranking within a given performance metric.
The Results
The results of this process demonstrated that no amine is ideal across all measured performance categories. Each amine brings a set of positive and negative contributions to the cured system.
Ideally, a formulator should use the matrix to determine a combination of complementary amines to create a “best of all possible worlds” solution. The final formula may contain two or three amines to achieve optimized performance, allowing the formulator creativity and exclusivity in their final product.