Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 3, 2026
15:52
Postproduction Processing of Electrospun Fibres for Tissue Engineering
Published on: August 9, 2012
18.7K
Polyether Sulfone-Based Epoxy Toughening: From Micro- to Nano-Phase Separation via PES End-Chain Modification and
Yann Rosetti1, Pierre Alcouffe2, Jean-Pierre Pascault3
1Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères, CNRS UMR5223, INSA-Lyon, Université de Lyon, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France. yann.rosetti@insa-lyon.fr.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 17, 2018
Summary
Adding polyether sulfones (PES) to epoxy networks enhances toughness by creating fine-scale structures. The study explored how PES chain-end properties and curing conditions influence these morphologies and the final material toughness.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Thermosetting epoxy networks offer high performance but often lack toughness.
- Incorporating specific polymers can create phase-separated morphologies to improve fracture resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate polyether sulfones (PES) as toughening agents for high-Tg epoxy matrices.
- To understand the influence of PES chain-end nature and processing conditions on material properties.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of epoxy networks modified with two types of PES with differing chain-end groups.
- Tuning of macro- to nano-scale morphologies through controlled curing conditions.
- Evaluation of the impact of morphology on the fracture toughness of the thermoset matrices.
Main Results:
- Successful generation of polyether sulfone-based morphologies within the epoxy matrix.
- Demonstration that PES chain-end nature significantly affects morphology development.
- Correlation established between specific morphologies, curing conditions, PES type, and enhanced material toughness.
Conclusions:
- Polyether sulfones are effective toughening additives for high-performance epoxy resins.
- Control over PES chain-end chemistry and curing parameters allows for tailored morphology and improved toughness.
- This approach offers a pathway to developing advanced thermoset materials with superior mechanical properties.
Related Concept Videos
01:35Pre-mRNA Processing: Modification of pre-mRNA Ends
14.9K
In eukaryotic cells, transcripts made by RNA polymerase are modified and processed before exiting the nucleus. Unprocessed RNA is called precursor mRNA or pre-mRNA to distinguish it from mature mRNA.
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a cap to the 5' end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5' phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached (7-methyl guanosine). This 5' cap helps...
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a cap to the 5' end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5' phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached (7-methyl guanosine). This 5' cap helps...
14.9K
00:49What is Genetic Engineering?
80.2K
Overview
80.2K
02:32Histone Modification
16.1K
The histone proteins have a flexible N-terminal tail extending out from the nucleosome. These histone tails are often subjected to post-translational modifications such as acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Particular combinations of these modifications form “histone codes” that influence the chromatin folding and tissue-specific gene expression.
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
16.1K
02:25Spreading of Chromatin Modifications
9.5K
The histone proteins in the nucleosomes are post-translationally modified (PTM) to increase or decrease access to DNA. The commonly observed PTMs are methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of lysine amino acids in the histone H3 tail region. These histone modifications have specific meaning for the cell. Hence, they are called "histone code". The protein complex involved in histone modification is termed as "reader-writer" complex.
Writers
The writer...
Writers
The writer...
9.5K
01:28Electron Transport Chains
112.2K
The final stage of cellular respiration is oxidative phosphorylation that consists of two steps: the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis. The electron transport chain is a set of proteins found in the inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotic cells. Its primary function is to establish a proton gradient that can be used during chemiosmosis to produce ATP and generate electron carriers, such as NAD+ and FAD, that are used in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.
The ETC is comprised of...
The ETC is comprised of...
112.2K
02:39Phase Diagrams
50.2K
A phase diagram combines plots of pressure versus temperature for the liquid-gas, solid-liquid, and solid-gas phase-transition equilibria of a substance. These diagrams indicate the physical states that exist under specific conditions of pressure and temperature and also provide the pressure dependence of the phase-transition temperatures (melting points, sublimation points, boiling points). Regions or areas labeled solid, liquid, and gas represent single phases, while lines or curves represent...
50.2K