Fabrication of thermally stable porous films from epoxy resin
In a current work, porous films based on epoxy resin have been obtained via the Breath Figures method.
It was shown that the use of a low-temperature curing agent and fluoro-containing organosilicon copolymer, compatible with epoxy resin, makes it possible to obtain porous, thermostable, highly hydrophobic coatings with a pore diameter of 3–4 µm. When the epoxy resin/copolymer mixture is homogenous, the modifier prevents water droplet coalescence; otherwise, the mixture becomes heterogeneous, and the positive influence of the modifier is lost.
Potential for manufacture of paint coatings
The obtained modified porous films are highly hydrophobic and maintain their porous structure until polymer devitrification occurs. The simplicity of the Breath Figures method shows great potential for the manufacture of water-repellent paint coatings based on epoxy resin for use in a variety of applications.
The study is published in: Journal of Coatings Technology and Research January 2018, Volume 15, Issue 1, pp 159–164.
