Araldite

MY 720
A medium viscosity multifunctional epoxy resin
General
Araldite

MY 720 is a tetrafunctional epoxy resin suitable for high

performance composites applications. Cured @ 120C (250F) to 175C
(350F), Araldite MY 720 provides outstanding performance
characteristics at elevated temperatures. When post-cured @ 200C
(400F), the system exhibits properties in excess of 200C (430F). MY
720 systems can display Tgs.
Chemical Description
N,N,N',N'-Tetraglycidyl-4,4'-methylenebisbenzenamine
Advantages
Exceptionally good long-term high temperature performance
High mechanical strength retention
Extremely low shrinkage
Excellent chemical resistance
Excellent radiation stability
Outstanding heat resistance and deflection temperature
Applications
Advanced (carbon and boron fiber) composites structures
High performance structural adhesives
Structural laminating
High energy radiation resistance components
Typical Properties
Visual appearance Clear, dark brown semi-solid
Viscosity @ 50C (122F), cP 8,000-18,000, mPas
(approximate)
Epoxy value, eq/100g 0.75-0.85
Weight per epoxide 117-134
Ciba Specialty Chemicals
North America
Performance
Polymers
Product Data
Formulations
Formulations
(continued)
Hardeners
The final properties of an Araldite MY 720 system depend on the
hardener selection. Araldite MY 720 can be cured with the following Ciba-
Geigy anhydride and aromatic amine hardeners:
Hardener HY 906 = Nadic methyl anhydride
Hardener HT 907 = Hexahydrophthalic anhydride
Hardener HT 972 = Methylene dianiline
Hardener HT 976 = Diaminodiphenyl sulfone
Hardener XU 205 = Liquid aromatic amine
Caution!
Care should always be taken when working with multifunctional epoxy
resins like MY 720. Excessive heat can cause violent exothermic
reactions. When heating the MY 720 in any large quantities, 80C (176F)
should be the upper temperature limit.
Unfilled batches scaled up to 5 kg should be carefully investigated by the
user for possible exotherms. In all cases, hot spots should be avoided
when heating. Accelerators are not recommended where no solvents or
fillers are used. If accelerators are evaluated, extreme caution should be
exercised.
Araldite MY 720/Hardener HT 976 Formulation
Ratio:
Araldite MY 720-100 pbw (parts by weight)
Hardener HT 976-44 pbw
Procedure:
When using Araldite MY 720 and HT 876 to produce an unfilled casting,
the following procedure is suggested:
Carefully heat the Araldite MY 720 to 125C (256F) and slowly stir in the
HT 976 until a clear mixture is obtained. (The total mass is 500g.)
Maintain a temperature of 135C and degas the mixture for 20 minutes @
30 inches of mercury. Then pour the material into molds and cure at the
cure schedule below.
Cure Schedule:
2 hrs. @ 80C (176F)+
1 hr. @ 100C (212F)+
4 hrs. @ 150C (302F)+
7 hrs. @ 200C (392F)
Cured Properties:
Tested @ 25C (77F) 150C (302F)
Tensile strength psi, (MPa) 8,450 (58.3) 6,460 (44.6)
Tensile modulus psi, (GPa) 5.4 x 10
5
(3.7) 3.8 x 10
5
(2.6)
Tensile elongation 1.8% 1.9%
3
Formulations
(continued)
Flexural strength psi, (MPa) 13,000 (89.7) 12,300 (84.8)
Flexural modulus psi, (GPa) 5.0 x 10
5
(3.4) 3.9 x 10
5
(2.7)
Ultimate compressive
strength psi, (MPa) 34,000 (234.5)
Compressive yield
strength psi, (MPa) 29,000 (200.0)
Compressive modulus psi,
(GPa) 2.8 x 10
5
(1.9)
Charpy-impact, unnotched 5.7 ft-lb.
Heat deflection temperature 238C (460F)
Tg 177C (350F)
Araldite MY 720/Hardener HY 906 Formulation
Ratio:
Araldite MY 720-100 pbw (parts by weight)
Hardener HY 906-100* pbw
* When adding an accelerator (DY 062), the hardener ratio (HY 906) can
be reduced to 100 pbw.
Procedure:
Heat the resin to about 70C (158F), add the hardener and stir until
homogeneous. If an accelerator is used with the system, cool the mixture
to room temperature before adding the accelerator. For preparation of
wet lay-up laminates, a pouring temperature between 40C (104F) and
80C (176F) is recommended.
Variation of Pot Life with Temperature:
Viscosity, End Pot Life Hours
System Point*, cP, mPas 40C 60C 80C
Araldite MY 720 500 - 21-2
Hardener HY 906 1,500 - 4-6 2
5,000 10-18 6-9 2
Araldite MY 720 500 - 0.5-1.5 0.5-1.0
Hardener HY 906 1,500 - 1.5-4 1
Accelerator DY 062 5,000 3-11 3-6 1
* The pot life is defined as the time it takes for the system to reach the
viscosity end point.
Curing:
The system can be gelled in two hours @ 100C (212F) or one hour
@ 120C (248F). Cure is achieved after eight hours @ 160C (320F) or
three hours @ 180C (356F). Post-curing several hours @ 200C
(392F) will develop higher heat distortion temperatures.
Cured Properties:
See comparison with Hardener HT 907 under next formulation example.
Araldite MY 720/Hardener HT 907 Formulation
Ratio:
4
Araldite MY 720-100 pbw (parts by weight)
Hardener HT 907-100 pbw
Procedure:
Heat the resin and hardener separately to 50-60C (122-140F); add the
hardener to the resin and stir until homogeneous. The recommended
pouring temperature for preparation of wet lay-up is between 40C
(104F) and 80C (176F).
Variation of Pot Life with Temperature:
System Viscosity, End Pot Life Hours
(cps, Mpas) 40C 60C 80C
Araldite MY 720 500 - 1.25 0.75
Hardener HT 907 1,500 2-6 2-5 1.25
5,000 4-12 4-7 1.50
The effect of temperature on viscosity of the Araldite MY 720/Hardener
HT 907 system is as follows:
Temperature Initial Viscosity, cP, mPas
40C (104F) 750
60C (140F) 180
80C (176F) 30
Cured Properties of Araldite MY 720/Hardeners HY 906 and HT 907:
Araldite MY 720 Araldite MY 720
Hardener HY 906 Hardener HT 907
Deflection temperature 180-200C
1
174-190C
3
250-260C
2
Dielectric constant,
1 kHz @ 20C 3.7-3.9 3.6-3.8
Loss tangent (tan S).
1 kHz @ 20C 0.005-0.01 0.009-0.013
1
.
Curing for 20 minutes 1 hour @ 120C and 2-3 hours @ 180C
2
Post cure 24 hours @ 200C
3
Curing for 30 minutes @ 120C and 15 hours @ 180C. Post cure gives no advantage.
Araldite MY 720 Adhesive Formulations
Formulation, pbw 1 2
Araldite MY 720 100 100
Hardener HY 906 120 -
Hardener HT 972 - 40
Formvar 7/70* 22 14
* Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO
Preparation: Test panels prepared by spreading the adhesive systems,
as solutions in acetone or methyl cellosolve, onto 2023 T, Alcad
Aluminum. The test joints were 1 inch by inch overlap. Cure conditions
at constant pressure, 100 psi: 1 hour @ 140C (248F) followed by 2
hours @ 80C (356F) and 2 hours @ 200C (393F).
5
Preparation of
composites/laminates
Preparation of
composites/laminates
(continued)
Araldite MY 720 in Advanced Composites:
Two basic processes are used for the manufacturing of composite
prepregs, i.e., the hot melt and the solution impregnation process. An
example of the latter method follows below.
Ratio:
Araldite MY 720-100 pbw (parts by weight)
Hardener HT 976-44 pbw
Solution Preparation:
Warm Araldite MY 720 to 40C (104F) and stir in an Acetone/Methyl
Ethyl Ketone mix (50:50) until a 30-35% solids weights solution is
obtained. This solution can be cooled to room temperature or left at
40C. Then the Hardener HT 976 is added and dissolved. Continue
rapid stirring until the solution is homogeneous (a paint shaker will
dissolve the HT 976 in less time). This solution should be stored at
>4C (40F) and is stable for six months.
Impregnating/Prepregging:
Unidirection graphite yarn is passed through the above solution
and wound onto a drum winder yielding a tape. It is advisable to
measure the viscosity and gel time of the resin/hardener system
from time to time in order to keep the properties of the resulting
prepreg constant. The impregnated tape is airdried up to one hour
and B-staged for three minutes at 120C (245F). Staging is
usually done in a drying tower with different steps staging cycles
depending on the efficiency of the drying tower. The resulting
prepreg has good drape and tack characteristics and can be
stored at 0C (32F) for 3-4 months. The best way of checking the
quality of the finished prepreg is to determine the degree of flow
and its solvent and resin content.
Molding and Curing of Prepregs:
Generally, prepregs are adaptable to vacuum bag, pressure bag,
matched die, press autoclave, and tape winding processing method, by
combining heat and pressure for the curing. Resin flow and gel time are
precisely controlled to fit each specific molding process.
The above prepreg example was compression molded with the
following step cure cycle:
Room temperature to 177C (350F) @ 3C (5F) per minute
Hold 90 minutes @ 177C (350F)
Apply 100 psi at the gel point (10-20 minutes into the hold)
Cool to room temperature
Post cure 4 hours @ 204C (400F)
Testing:
All composite samples in question are based on 30 weight percent
resin content, using the following test methods:
Test Panels ASTM
Short Beam Shear 20 ply 0 D-2344
Flexural Properties 10 ply 0 D-790
6
Matrix Tensile 14 ply oriented at D-3039
+45/90-45/90 tested
in 0 direction
Composite Properties Tested at Room 93C
-59C Temp (200F)
(-75F)
Short Beam Shear, psi, (mPa) 11,200 10,500 9,400
(77.2) (92.4) (64.8)
Flexural Strength, psi, (mPa) 209,000 228,000 227,000
(1441.4) (15712.5) (1565.6)
Flexural Modulus 13.2 14.8 14.9
(psi x 10
5
), (GPa) (9.1) (10.2) (10.3)
Matrix Tensile Strength, 13,600 14,700
psi (mPa) (93.7) (101.4)
Matrix Tensile Modulus, 498,000 539,000
psi (GPa) (3.4) (3.7)
Matrix Tensile Elongation, % 4.3 3.5
Tg: 200C (392F)
Properties of Glasscloth Laminates:
Wet lay-up 12 ply glasscloth laminate pressed to 3.2mm (1/8 inch)
stops.
Ratio:
Araldite MY 720 100 pbw 100 pbw
Hardener HY 906 120 pbw 110 pbw
Hardener HT 907
Curing schedule 1.5 hr @ 120C & 1 hr @ 100C &
4 hr @ 180C 2 hr @ 180C
Resin to glass weight ratio 41:59 39:61
Flexural strength 68,000-75,000 psi 71,000-77,000 psi
@ room temperature 469-517 mPa 489-531 mPa
At room temperature after 67,000-74,000 psi 70,000-75,000 psi
2 hrs. immersion in boiling 468-510 mPa 482-517 mPa
water
@ 170C - 30,000-35,000 psi
- 207-241 mPa
@ 190C 45,000-51,000 psi -
310-351 mPa -
@ 190C after conditioning 55,000-61,000 psi -
24 hours @ 190C 379-379 mP
7
Storage/Stability
Araldite MY 720 Viscosity and Epoxy Value Stability
The table below compares the stability of Araldite MY 720 when
stored @ 25C (77F) and at 50C (122F) for a period of 12 months.
Stored @ 25C (77F) Stored @ 50C (122F)
Viscosity, cP Viscosity, cP
Months (mPas) Epoxy Value (mPas) Epoxy Value
Storage 50C (122F) eq/100g 50C (122F) eq/100g
0 (initial) 15,130 0.80 15,130 0.80
1 17,245 0.79 14,867 0.78
2 14,734 0.76 20,024 0.75
4 15,968 0.80 45,197 0.74
5 16,438 0.80 73,443 0.75
8 16,706 0.79 108,027 0.73
7 13,890 0.79 - -
9 18,432 0.78 - -
10 22,213 0.77 - -
11 23,741 0.74 - -
12 24,955 0.77 - -
Based on the above data, it is recommended to store Araldite MY 720 @
4C (40F). Ciba Specialty Chemicals stores all of the Araldite MY 720
at this recommended storage temperature.
Safety and handling
precautions
Warning! Causes irritation. May cause allergic skin reaction.
Avoid contact with eyes, skin or clothing.
Avoid breathing vapor, mist or spray.
Use only with adequate ventilation.
Promptly remove wet contaminated clothing and wash before reuse.
Destroy contaminated shoes.
Wash thoroughly after handling.
Do not heat in bulkdangerous exothermic reaction may occur. Keep
away from heat sources. Do not cut or weld. Never use drum band
heaters. Stores at or below 40F in sealed containers. Storage at higher
temperatures may adversely affect properties. Maximum temperature
this product should be subjected to while thawing for use should not
exceed 190F for no more than 12 hours. Heat or contact with other
materials may cause an exothermic reaction and rapid decomposition.
See Material Safety Data Sheet before using.
First Aid
In case of contact:
Eyes: Immediately flush with water for at least 15 minutes. Call a
physician.
Skin: Promptly wash with mild soap and water.
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. Give oxygen if necessary.
Ingestion: If conscious, give water, Get medical attention.
For Industrial Use Only!
Important
The following supercedes Buyers documents. SELLER MAKES NO
REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. No statements herein are to be construed as
inducements to infringe any relevant patent. Under no circumstances
8
shall Seller be liable for incidental, consequential or indirect damages for
alleged negligence, breach of warranty, strict liability, tort or contract
arising in connection with the product(s). Buyers sole remedy and
Sellers sole liability for any claims shall be Buyers purchase price. Data
and results are based on controlled or lab work and must be confirmed by
Buyer by testing for its intended conditions of use. The product(s) has not
been tested for, and is therefore not recommended for, uses for which
prolonged contact with mucous membranes, abraded skin, or blood is
intended; or for uses for which implantation within the human body is
intended.
Ciba Specialty Chemicals
Performance Polymers
281 Fields Lane
Brewster, New York 10509
(914) 785-3000
(800) 222-1906
Fax: (914) 785-3472
Araldite MY 720
Resins
Ciba Specialty Chemicals 1997
Printed in the U.S.A.
September 1, 1998
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