PROPERTIES OF SOME TOUGHENED, RADIATION STABLE EPOXY RESINS

Impregnating resins for use in fusion magnet technology are required to be radiation stable, have a long useable life together with some degree of toughness to minimise the risk of cracking during cool-down. Some multi-functional resins in combination with solid aromatic amines have, in the past, been shown to have lost little of their strength after a total absorbed dose of 200 MGy. Using resins that are known to be radiation stable with a liquid aromatic amine hardener, the effect of adding an aromatic epoxy resin as a reactive 'toughening agent,' to improve the toughness of otherwise brittle resins has been assessed. Boron free glass composites, using various amounts of added toughening agent were prepared by vacuum impregnation and a number of critical composite properties have been measured, at room temperature and at 77 K