SU-8 is a commonly used epoxy -based negative photoresist . Negative refers to a photoresist whereby the parts exposed to UV become cross-linked, while the remainder of the film remains soluble and can be washed away during development.
76-458: As shown in the structural diagram, SU-8 derives its name from the presence of 8 epoxy groups. This is a statistical average per moiety . It is these epoxies that cross-link to give the final structure. It can be made into a viscous polymer that can be spun or spread over a thickness ranging from below 1 micrometer up to above 300 micrometers, or Thick Film Dry Sheets (TFDS) for lamination up to above 1 millimetre thick. Up to 500 μm,
152-440: A copolymer with polyfunctional curatives or hardeners . This curing is what produces the qualities of the substance such as resistance, durability, versatility, and adhesion. In principle, any molecule containing a reactive hydrogen may react with the epoxide groups of the epoxy resin. Common classes of hardeners for epoxy resins include amines, acids, acid anhydrides, phenols, alcohols and thiols. Relative reactivity (lowest first)
228-456: A calculated amount of bisphenol A and then a catalyst is added and the reaction heated to circa 160 °C (320 °F). This process is known as "advancement". As the molecular weight of the resin increases, the epoxide content reduces and the material behaves more and more like a thermoplastic . Very high molecular weight polycondensates (ca. 30,000–70,000 g/mol) form a class known as phenoxy resins and contain virtually no epoxide groups (since
304-418: A catalyst. The resulting material has ether linkages and displays higher chemical and oxidation resistance than typically obtained by curing with amines or anhydrides. Since many novolacs are solids, this class of hardeners is often employed for powder coatings . Also known as mercaptans, thiols contain a sulfur which reacts very readily with the epoxide group, even at ambient or sub-ambient temperatures. While
380-578: A cured network. This process is known as catalytic homopolymerisation. The resulting network contains only ether bridges, and exhibits high thermal and chemical resistance, but is brittle and often requires elevated temperature for the curing process, so finds only niche applications industrially. Epoxy homopolymerisation is often used when there is a requirement for UV curing, since cationic UV catalysts may be employed (e.g. for UV coatings ). Polyfunctional primary amines form an important class of epoxy hardeners. Primary amines undergo an addition reaction with
456-446: A dense layer which makes the remainder of the solvent more difficult to remove. In order to reduce stress, the bake procedure is generally a two-step process made up of holding at 65 °C before ramping to 95 °C and holding again for a time dependent on the layer thickness. The temperature is then lowered slowly to room temperature . When dry films are used, the photoresist is laminated rather than spin-coated. As this formulation
532-447: A full kitchen stove would not be convenient or practical. A hot plate can have a flat surface or round surface. Hot plates can be used for traveling or in areas without electricity. Hot plates can also be used as a heat source in laboratories. This type of cooking equipment is typically powered by electricity; however, gas fired hot plates were not uncommon in the 19th and 20th century and are still available in various markets around
608-458: A heat source's minimum temperature is high. Another method, called a teepee setup because it looks a little like a tipi , is to suspend glassware above a plate and surround the flask by a skirt of tinfoil. The skirt should start at the neck of the flask and drape down to the surface of the plate, not touching the sides of the flask, but covering the majority of the plates surface. This method is for glassware to be heated at higher temperatures because
684-411: A high-resolution mask for fabrication of semiconductor devices. It is now mainly used in the fabrication of microfluidics (mainly via soft lithography , but also with other imprinting techniques such as nanoimprint lithography ) and microelectromechanical systems parts. It is also one of the most biocompatible materials known and is often used in bio-MEMS for life science applications. SU-8
760-402: A hydroxy group, also the nitrogen atom of an amine or amide can be reacted with epichlorohydrin. The other production route for epoxy resins is the conversion of aliphatic or cycloaliphatic alkenes with peracids : In contrast to glycidyl-based epoxy resins, this production of such epoxy monomers does not require an acidic hydrogen atom but an aliphatic double bond. The epoxide group
836-424: A large extent as secondary plasticizers and cost stabilizers for PVC . Aliphatic glycidyl epoxy resins of low molar mass (mono-, bi- or polyfunctional) are formed by the reaction of epichlorohydrin with aliphatic alcohols or polyols (glycidyl ethers are formed) or with aliphatic carboxylic acids (glycidyl esters are formed). The reaction is carried out in the presence of a base such as sodium hydroxide, analogous to
SECTION 10
#1732797819373912-399: A lesser extent, monoanhydrides, non-stoichiometric, empirical determinations are often used to optimize dosing levels. In some cases, blends of dianhydrides and monoanhydrides can improve metering and mixing with liquid epoxy resins. Polyphenols, such as bisphenol A or novolacs can react with epoxy resins at elevated temperatures (130–180 °C, 266–356 °F), normally in the presence of
988-470: A long time to cool down) and mantles can be very expensive and are designed for specific flask volumes. Two alternative methods for heating glassware using a hotplate are available. One method is to suspend glassware slightly above the surface of the plate with no direct contact. This not only reduces the temperature of the glass, but it also slows down the rate of heat exchange and encourages even heating. This works well for low boiling point operations or when
1064-911: A low surface tension, it is added as a wetting agent (surfactant) for contact with glass fibres. Its reactivity to hardeners is comparable to that of bisphenol A. When cured, the epoxy resin leads to a thermosetting plastic with high chemical resistance and low water absorption. However, the commercial use of fluorinated epoxy resins is limited by their high cost and low T g . Epoxy resins diluents are typically formed by glycidylation of aliphatic alcohols or polyols and also aromatic alcohols. The resulting materials may be monofunctional (e.g. dodecanol glycidyl ether), difunctional ( 1,4-Butanediol diglycidyl ether ), or higher functionality (e.g. trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether ). These resins typically display low viscosity at room temperature (10–200 mPa.s) and are often referred to as reactive diluents. They are rarely used alone, but are rather employed to modify (reduce)
1140-414: A lower electron density than aromatics, cycloaliphatic epoxies react less readily with nucleophiles than bisphenol A-based epoxy resins (which have aromatic ether groups). This means that conventional nucleophilic hardeners such as amines are hardly suitable for crosslinking. Cycloaliphatic epoxides are therefore usually homopolymerized thermally or UV-initiated in an electrophilic or cationic reaction. Due to
1216-610: A network with incomplete polymerisation, and thus reduced mechanical, chemical and heat resistance. Cure temperature should typically attain the glass transition temperature (T g ) of the fully cured network in order to achieve maximum properties. Temperature is sometimes increased in a step-wise fashion to control the rate of curing and prevent excessive heat build-up from the exothermic reaction. Hardeners which show only low or limited reactivity at ambient temperature, but which react with epoxy resins at elevated temperature are referred to as latent hardeners . When using latent hardeners,
1292-450: A photoacid generator (triarylsulfonium salts, for example) and subsequent post exposure baking. The polymerization process it a cationic chain growth, which takes place by ring opening polymerization of the epoxide groups. SUEX is a Thick Dry Film Sheet (TDFS) which is a solventless formulation applied by lamination. As this formulation is a dry sheet, there is high uniformity, no edge-bead formation and very little waste. These sheets come in
1368-442: A range of thicknesses from 100 μm to over 1mm. DJMicrolaminates also sell a thinner range, ADEX TFDS, which are available in thicknesses from 5 μm through to 75 μm. Epoxy Epoxy is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins . Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides , are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group
1444-467: A single photon can trigger multiple polymerizations makes the SU-8 a chemically amplified resist which is polymerized by photoacid generation. The light irradiated on the resist interacts with the salt in the solution, creating hexafluoroantimonic acid that then protonates the epoxides groups in the resin monomers. The monomer are thus activated but the polymerization will not proceed significantly until
1520-566: A variety of ways, including reacting with fatty acids derived from oils to yield epoxy esters, which were cured the same way as alkyds. Typical ones were L8 (80% linseed) and D4 (40% dehydrated castor oil). These were often reacted with styrene to make styrenated epoxy esters, used as primers. Curing with phenolics to make drum linings, curing esters with amine resins and pre-curing epoxies with amino resins to make resistant top coats. Organic chains maybe used to hydrophobically modify epoxy resins and change their properties. The effect of chain length of
1596-460: Is 1-methoxy-2-propanol acetate . Development time is primarily a function of SU-8 thickness. After exposing and developing, its highly cross-linked structure gives it high stability to chemicals and radiation damage - hence the name "resist". Cured cross-linked SU-8 shows very low levels of outgassing in a vacuum . However it is very difficult to remove, and tends to outgas in an unexposed state. SU-8 2000 series resists use cyclopentanone for
SECTION 20
#17327978193731672-542: Is a common phenomenon for epoxy materials and is often of concern in art and conservation applications. Epoxy resins yellow with time, even when not exposed to UV radiation. Significant advances in understanding yellowing of epoxies were achieved by Down first in 1984 (natural dark aging) and later in 1986 (high-intensity light aging). Down investigated various room-temperature-cure epoxy resin adhesives suitable for use in glass conservation, testing their tendency to yellow. A fundamental molecular understanding of epoxy yellowing
1748-421: Is a highly effective and widely used accelerator, but is now increasingly replaced due to health concerns with this substance. The most widely used accelerator is 2,4,6-Tris(dimethylaminomethyl)phenol . Epoxy resin may be reacted with itself in the presence of an anionic catalyst (a Lewis base such as tertiary amines or imidazoles) or a cationic catalyst (a Lewis acid such as a boron trifluoride complex) to form
1824-806: Is a key technology used for toughening. Two part epoxy coatings were developed for heavy duty service on metal substrates and use less energy than heat-cured powder coatings . These systems provide a tough, protective coating with excellent hardness. One part epoxy coatings are formulated as an emulsion in water, and can be cleaned up without solvents. Epoxy coatings are often used in industrial and automotive applications since they are more heat resistant than latex-based and alkyd-based paints. Epoxy paints tend to deteriorate, known as "chalking out", due to UV exposure. Epoxy coatings have also been used in drinking water applications. Epoxy coatings find much use to protect mild and other steels due to their excellent protective properties. Change in color, known as yellowing,
1900-439: Is also collectively called epoxy . The IUPAC name for an epoxide group is an oxirane . Epoxy resins may be reacted ( cross-linked ) either with themselves through catalytic homo polymerisation , or with a wide range of co-reactants including polyfunctional amines, acids (and acid anhydrides ), phenols, alcohols and thiols (sometimes called mercaptans). These co-reactants are often referred to as hardeners or curatives, and
1976-489: Is also sometimes referred to as an oxirane group. The most common epoxy resins are based on reacting epichlorohydrin (ECH) with bisphenol A , resulting in a different chemical substance known as bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (commonly known as BADGE or DGEBA). Bisphenol A-based resins are the most widely commercialised resins but also other bisphenols are analogously reacted with epichlorohydrin, for example Bisphenol F . In this two-stage reaction, epichlorohydrin
2052-406: Is approximately in the order: phenol < anhydride < aromatic amine < cycloaliphatic amine < aliphatic amine < thiol. While some epoxy resin/ hardener combinations will cure at ambient temperature, many require heat, with temperatures up to 150 °C (302 °F) being common, and up to 200 °C (392 °F) for some specialist systems. Insufficient heat during cure will result in
2128-453: Is called prepolymerization: A product comprising a few repeat units ( n = 1 to 2) is a viscous, clear liquid; this is called a liquid epoxy resin. A product comprising more repeating units ( n = 2 to 30) is at room temperature a colourless solid, which is correspondingly referred to as solid epoxy resin. Instead of bisphenol A, other bisphenols (especially bisphenol F ) or brominated bisphenols (e. g. tetrabromobisphenol A ) can be used for
2204-573: Is common to achieve the desired processing or final properties, or to reduce cost. Use of blending, additives and fillers is often referred to as formulating . All quantities of mix generate their own heat because the reaction is exothermic. Large quantities will generate more heat and thus greatly increase the rate of the reaction and so reduce working time (pot-life). So it is good practice to mix smaller amounts which can be used quickly to avoid waste and to be safer. There are various methods of toughening them, as they can be brittle. Rubber toughening
2280-473: Is composed of Bisphenol A Novolac epoxy that is dissolved in an organic solvent ( gamma-butyrolactone GBL or cyclopentanone , depending on the formulation) and up to 10 wt% of mixed Triarylsulfonium/hexafluoroantimonate salt as the photoacid generator. SU-8 absorbs light in the UV region, allowing fabrication of relatively thick (hundreds of micrometers) structures with nearly vertical side walls. The fact that
2356-406: Is connected to the epoxide group content. This is expressed as the " epoxide equivalent weight ", which is the ratio between the molecular weight of the monomer and the number of epoxide groups. This parameter is used to calculate the mass of co-reactant (hardener) to use when curing epoxy resins. Epoxies are typically cured with stoichiometric or near-stoichiometric quantities of hardener to achieve
SU-8 photoresist - Misplaced Pages Continue
2432-475: Is degraded at temperatures above 350 °F (177 °C). Some epoxies are cured by exposure to ultraviolet light. Such epoxies are commonly used in optics , fiber optics , and optoelectronics . Epoxy systems are used in industrial tooling applications to produce molds , master models, laminates , castings , fixtures , and other industrial production aids. This "plastic tooling" replaces metal, wood and other traditional materials, and generally improves
2508-425: Is essentially solventless (less than 1% solvent remaining), it does not require a soft bake step and does not suffer stress or skinning. For enhanced adhesion , a post lamination bake can be added. This step is carried out in a similar way to the solution based resist - i.e. holding at 65 °C then 95 °C, the time dependent on film thickness. After this stage the SU-8 layer can now be exposed. Typically this
2584-433: Is first added to bisphenol A (bis(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-propoxy)bisphenol A is formed), then a bisepoxide is formed in a condensation reaction with a stoichiometric amount of sodium hydroxide. The chlorine atom is released as sodium chloride (NaCl) and the hydrogen atom as water. Higher molecular weight diglycidyl ethers (n ≥ 1) are formed by the reaction of the bisphenol A diglycidyl ether formed with further bisphenol A, this
2660-439: Is for ultraviolet light with a wavelength of the i-line : 365 nm (it is not practical to expose SU-8 with g-line ultraviolet light). When exposed, SU-8's long molecular chains cross-link , causing the polymerisation of the material. SU-8 series photoresists use gamma-butyrolactone or cyclopentanone as the primary solvent. SU-8 was originally developed as a photoresist for the microelectronics industry, to provide
2736-623: Is not present in these materials as it is in Bisphenol A and F resins, the UV stability is considerably improved. Halogenated epoxy resins are admixed for special properties, in particular brominated and fluorinated epoxy resins are used. Brominated bisphenol A is used when flame retardant properties are required, such as in some electrical applications (e.g. printed circuit boards ). The tetrabrominated bisphenol A (TBBPA, 2,2-bis(3,5-dibromophenyl)propane) or its diglycidyl ether, 2,2-bis[3,5-dibromo-4-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)phenyl]propane, can be added to
2812-446: Is through a photomask with an inverse pattern, as the resist is negative. The exposure time is a function of exposure dose and film thickness. After exposure the SU-8 needs to be baked again to complete the polymerization. This baking step is not as critical as the prebake but the rising of the temperature (again to 95 °C) needs to be slow and controlled. At this point the resist is ready to be developed. The main developer for SU-8
2888-433: The temperature is raised as part of the post-expose bake. It is at this stage that the epoxy groups in the resin cross-link to form the cured structure. When fully cured, the high crosslinking degree gives to the resist its excellent mechanical properties. The processing of SU-8 is similar to other negative resists with particular attention on the control of the temperature in the baking steps. The baking times depend on
2964-624: The 120 to 480 volt range. Most industrial hot plates will withstand loads more than 150 pounds. Industrial hot plates which incorporate a porous heated plate are referred to as heated chucks. These plates are used to heat thin sheets evenly by drawing the sheets firmly on the plate with a vacuum. These plates are widely used in the process of manufacturing semiconductors. Hot plates using special material and protective coatings are used in mining and related industries to heat samples of toxic chemicals. Such hot plates are usually referred to as corrosion-resistant hot plates. Hot plates are widely used in
3040-411: The SU-8 layer thickness; the thicker the layer, the longer the baking time. The temperature is controlled during the baking in order to reduce stress formation in the thick layer (leading to cracks ) as the solvent evaporates. The soft bake is the most important of the bake steps for stress formation. It is performed after spin coating . Its function is to remove the solvent from the resist and make
3116-401: The amino groups may react as slowly as some of the aromatic amines. Slower reactivity allows longer working times for processors. Temperature resistance generally increases in the same order, since aromatic amines form much more rigid structures than aliphatic amines. Aromatic amines were widely used as epoxy resin hardeners, due to the excellent end properties when mixed with a parent resin. Over
SU-8 photoresist - Misplaced Pages Continue
3192-489: The best physical properties. Novolaks are produced by reacting phenol with methanal ( formaldehyde ). The reaction of epichlorohydrin and novolaks produces novolaks with glycidyl residues , such as epoxyphenol novolak (EPN) or epoxycresol novolak (ECN). These highly viscous to solid resins typically carry 2 to 6 epoxy groups per molecule. By curing, highly cross-linked polymers with high temperature and chemical resistance but low mechanical flexibility are formed due to
3268-717: The commercially used epoxy monomers are produced by the reaction of a compound with acidic hydroxy groups and epichlorohydrin . First a hydroxy group reacts in a coupling reaction with epichlorohydrin, followed by dehydrohalogenation . Epoxy resins produced from such epoxy monomers are called glycidyl -based epoxy resins. The hydroxy group may be derived from aliphatic diols , polyols (polyether polyols), phenolic compounds or dicarboxylic acids . Phenols can be compounds such as bisphenol A and novolak . Polyols can be compounds such as 1,4-butanediol . Di- and polyols lead to glycidyl ethers . Dicarboxylic acids such as hexahydrophthalic acid are used for diglycide ester resins. Instead of
3344-849: The cross-linking reaction is commonly referred to as curing . Reaction of polyepoxides with themselves or with polyfunctional hardeners forms a thermosetting polymer , often with favorable mechanical properties and high thermal and chemical resistance. Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including metal coatings , composites, use in electronics, electrical components (e.g. for chips on board ), LEDs, high-tension electrical insulators , paintbrush manufacturing, fiber-reinforced plastic materials, and adhesives for structural and other purposes. The health risks associated with exposure to epoxy resin compounds include contact dermatitis and allergic reactions, as well as respiratory problems from breathing vapor and sanding dust, especially from compounds not fully cured. Condensation of epoxides and amines
3420-405: The efficiency and either lowers the overall cost or shortens the lead-time for many industrial processes. Epoxies are also used in producing fiber-reinforced or composite parts. They are more expensive than polyester resins and vinyl ester resins , but usually produce stronger and more temperature-resistant thermoset polymer matrix composite parts. Machine bedding to overcome vibrations is a use in
3496-511: The epoxide group to form a hydroxyl group and a secondary amine. The secondary amine can further react with an epoxide to form a tertiary amine and an additional hydroxyl group. Kinetic studies have shown the reactivity of the primary amine to be approximately double that of the secondary amine. Use of a difunctional or polyfunctional amine forms a three-dimensional cross-linked network. Aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic amines are all employed as epoxy hardeners. Amine type hardeners will alter both
3572-462: The epoxy formulation . The formulation may then be reacted in the same way as pure bisphenol A. Some (non-crosslinked) epoxy resins with very high molar mass are added to engineering thermoplastics, again to achieve flame retardant properties. Fluorinated epoxy resins have been investigated for some high performance applications , such as the fluorinated diglycidether 5-heptafluoropropyl-1,3-bis[2-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)hexafluoro-2-propyl]benzene. As it has
3648-672: The epoxy resin and hardener may be mixed and stored for some time prior to use, which is advantageous for many industrial processes. Very latent hardeners enable one-component (1K) products to be produced, whereby the resin and hardener are supplied pre-mixed to the end user and only require heat to initiate curing. One-component products generally have shorter shelf-lives than standard 2-component systems, and products may require cooled storage and transport. The epoxy curing reaction may be accelerated by addition of small quantities of accelerators . Tertiary amines, carboxylic acids and alcohols (especially phenols) are effective accelerators. Bisphenol A
3724-565: The flask is warmed indirectly by the hot air collecting under the skirt and unlike simply suspending the glassware, this method is better protected from drafts. Both these methods are useful in a student laboratory as they are cheaper, effective, safe, and the user does not have to wait for a bath to cool down after use. Hot plates are widely used for many industrial applications. These hot plates vary in size from 2 to over 300 square centimetres. Typical operating temperatures vary from 100 to 750°C (212 to 1382°F) and power requirements are usually in
3800-444: The form of epoxy granite . Hot plate A hot plate or hotplate is a portable self-contained tabletop small appliance cooktop that features one or more electric heating elements or gas burners . A hot plate can be used as a stand-alone appliance, but is often used as a substitute for one of the burners from an oven range or a kitchen stove . Hot plates are often used for food preparation, generally in locations where
3876-449: The formation of bisphenol A-diglycidyl ether. Also aliphatic glycidyl epoxy resins usually have a low viscosity compared to aromatic epoxy resins. They are therefore added to other epoxy resins as reactive diluents or as adhesion promoters . Epoxy resins made of (long-chain) polyols are also added to improve tensile strength and impact strength. A related class is cycloaliphatic epoxy resin, which contains one or more cycloaliphatic rings in
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#17327978193733952-401: The high functionality, and hence high crosslink density of these resins. There are two common types of aliphatic epoxy resins: those obtained by epoxidation of double bonds (cycloaliphatic epoxides and epoxidized vegetable oils ) and those formed by reaction with epichlorohydrin (glycidyl ethers and esters). Cycloaliphatic epoxides contain one or more aliphatic rings in the molecule on which
4028-399: The layer solid. Typically at least 5% of the solvent remains in the layer after the soft bake, however the thicker the coating, the harder it becomes to remove the solvent, as evaporating solvent through thick layers becomes increasingly difficult with coating thickness. The bake is performed on a programmable hot plate to reduce the skinning effect of solvent depletion at the surface creating
4104-549: The linear epoxy resin with suitable curatives to form three-dimensional cross-linked thermoset structures. This process is commonly referred to as curing or gelation process. Curing of epoxy resins is an exothermic reaction and in some cases produces sufficient heat to cause thermal degradation if not controlled. Curing does induce residual stress in epoxy systems which have been studied. The induced stresses may be alleviated with flexibilisers. Curing may be achieved by reacting an epoxy with itself (homopolymerisation) or by forming
4180-435: The low dielectric constants and the absence of chlorine, cycloaliphatic epoxides are often used to encapsulate electronic systems, such as microchips or LEDs. They are also used for radiation-cured paints and varnishes. Due to their high price, however, their use has so far been limited to such applications. Epoxidized vegetable oils are formed by epoxidation of unsaturated fatty acids by reaction with peracids. In this case,
4256-923: The modifiers has been studied. Epoxy adhesives are a major part of the class of adhesives called "structural adhesives" or "engineering adhesives" (that includes polyurethane , acrylic , cyanoacrylate , and other chemistries.) These high-performance adhesives are used in the construction of aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, boats, golf clubs, skis, snowboards, and other applications where high strength bonds are required. Epoxy adhesives can be developed to suit almost any application. They can be used as adhesives for wood, metal, glass, stone, and some plastics. They can be made flexible or rigid, transparent or opaque /colored, fast setting or slow setting. Epoxy adhesives are better in heat and chemical resistance than other common adhesives. In general, epoxy adhesives cured with heat will be more heat- and chemical-resistant than those cured at room temperature. The strength of epoxy adhesives
4332-400: The molecule (e.g. 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3,4-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate). This class also displays lower viscosity at room temperature, but offers significantly higher temperature resistance than the aliphatic epoxy diluents. However, reactivity is rather low compared to other classes of epoxy resin, and high temperature curing using suitable accelerators is normally required. As aromaticity
4408-594: The oil and gas industry, potable water transmission pipelines (steel), and concrete reinforcing rebar . Epoxy coatings are also widely used as primers to improve the adhesion of automotive and marine paints especially on metal surfaces where corrosion (rusting) resistance is important. Metal cans and containers are often coated with epoxy to prevent rusting, especially for foods like tomatoes that are acidic . Epoxy resins are also used for decorative flooring applications such as terrazzo flooring, chip flooring, and colored aggregate flooring. Epoxies have been modified in
4484-602: The oxirane ring is contained (e.g. 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3',4'-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate ). They are produced by the reaction of a cyclic alkene with a peracid (see above). Cycloaliphatic epoxides are characterised by their aliphatic structure, high oxirane content and the absence of chlorine, which results in low viscosity and (once cured) good weather resistance, low dielectric constants and high T g . However, aliphatic epoxy resins polymerize very slowly at room temperature, so higher temperatures and suitable accelerators are usually required. Because aliphatic epoxies have
4560-400: The past few decades concern about the possible adverse health effects of many aromatic amines has led to increased use of aliphatic or cycloaliphatic amine alternatives. Amines are also blended, adducted and reacted to alter properties and these amine resins are more often used to cure epoxy resins than a pure amine such as TETA. Increasingly, water-based polyamines are also used to help reduce
4636-444: The peracids can also be formed in situ by reacting carboxylic acids with hydrogen peroxide. Compared with LERs (liquid epoxy resins) they have very low viscosities. If, however, they are used in larger proportions as reactive diluents , this often leads to reduced chemical and thermal resistance and to poorer mechanical properties of the cured epoxides. Large scale epoxidized vegetable oils such as epoxidized soy and lens oils are used to
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#17327978193734712-453: The polymerisation reaction used to produce them. High purity grades can be produced for certain applications, e.g. using a distillation purification process. One downside of high purity liquid grades is their tendency to form crystalline solids due to their highly regular structure, which then require melting to enable processing. An important criterion for epoxy resins is the Epoxy value which
4788-825: The primary solvent and can be used to create films between 0.5 and 100 μm in thickness. This formulation may offer improved adhesion on some substrates versus the original formulation. SU-8 3000 series resists also use cyclopentanone for the primary solvent and are designed to be spun into thicker films ranging from 2 to 75 μm in a single coat. SU-8 GLM2060 series of low-stress photoresist consist of epoxy GBL and silica formulation CTE 14. SU-8 GCM3060 Series of GERSTELTEC conductive SU8 with nanoparticles of silver. SU-8 GMC10xx Series of GERSTELTEC colored SU8 Red, Bleau, Green, black and others. SU-8 GMJB10XX Series of GERSTELTEC low viscosities epoxy for inkjet applications. SU8 GM10XX Series of Classic GERSTELTEC epoxy. Its polymerization process proceeds upon photoactivation of
4864-418: The processing properties (viscosity, reactivity) and the final properties (mechanical, temperature and heat resistance) of the cured copolymer network. Thus amine structure is normally selected according to the application. Overall reactivity potential for different hardeners can roughly be ordered; aliphatic amines > cycloaliphatic amines > aromatic amines, though aliphatic amines with steric hindrance near
4940-871: The range of commercially available variations allows cure polymers to be produced with a very broad range of properties. They have been extensively used with concrete and cementitious systems. In general, epoxies are known for their excellent adhesion, chemical and heat resistance, good-to-excellent mechanical properties and very good electrical insulating properties. Many properties of epoxies can be modified (for example silver -filled epoxies with good electrical conductivity are available, although epoxies are typically electrically insulating). Variations offering high thermal insulation , or thermal conductivity combined with high electrical resistance for electronics applications, are available. As with other classes of thermoset polymer materials, blending different grades of epoxy resin, as well as use of additives, plasticizers or fillers
5016-417: The ratio of bisphenol A to epichlorohydrin during manufacture produces higher molecular weight linear polyethers with glycidyl end groups, which are semi-solid to hard crystalline materials at room temperature depending on the molecular weight achieved. This route of synthesis is known as the "taffy" process. The usual route to higher molecular weight epoxy resins is to start with liquid epoxy resin (LER) and add
5092-404: The resist can be processed with standard contact lithography . Above 500 μm, absorption leads to increasing sidewall undercuts and poor curing at the substrate interface. It can be used to pattern high aspect ratio structures. An aspect ratio of (> 20) has been achieved with the solution formulation and (> 40) has been demonstrated from the dry resist. Its maximum absorption
5168-491: The resulting cured network makes them important materials for aerospace composite applications. There are several dozen chemicals that can be used to cure epoxy, including amines , imidazoles, anhydrides and photosensitive chemicals. The study of epoxy curing is usually carried out by using differential scanning calorimetry . In general, uncured epoxy resins have only poor mechanical, chemical and heat resistance properties. However, good properties are obtained by reacting
5244-784: The resulting network does not typically display high temperature or chemical resistance, the high reactivity of the thiol group makes it useful for applications where heated curing is not possible, or very fast cure is required e.g. for domestic DIY adhesives and chemical rock bolt anchors . Thiols have a characteristic odour, which can be detected in many two-component household adhesives. The applications for epoxy-based materials are extensive and they are considered very versatile. The applications include coatings, adhesives and composite materials such as those using carbon fiber and fiberglass reinforcements (although polyester , vinyl ester , and other thermosetting resins are also used for glass-reinforced plastic). The chemistry of epoxies and
5320-444: The said epoxidation and prepolymerisation. Bisphenol F may undergo epoxy resin formation in a similar fashion to bisphenol A. These resins typically have lower viscosity and a higher mean epoxy content per gram than bisphenol A resins, which (once cured) gives them increased chemical resistance. Important epoxy resins are produced from combining epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A to give bisphenol A diglycidyl ethers . Increasing
5396-430: The terminal epoxy groups are insignificant compared to the total size of the molecule). These resins do however contain hydroxyl groups throughout the backbone, which may also undergo other cross-linking reactions, e.g. with aminoplasts, phenoplasts and isocyanates . Epoxy resins are polymeric or semi-polymeric materials or an oligomer , and as such rarely exist as pure substances, since variable chain length results from
5472-706: The toxicity profile among other reasons. Epoxy resins may be thermally cured with anhydrides to create polymers with significant property retention at elevated temperatures for extended periods of time. Reaction and subsequent crosslinking occur only after opening of the anhydride ring, e.g. by secondary hydroxyl groups in the epoxy resin. Homopolymerization may also occur between epoxide and hydroxyl groups. The high latency of anhydride hardeners makes them suitable for processing systems which require addition of mineral fillers prior to curing, e.g. for high voltage electrical insulators. Cure speed may be improved by matching anhydrides with suitable accelerators. For dianhydrides, and to
5548-891: The viscosity of other epoxy resins. This has led to the term modified epoxy resin to denote those containing viscosity-lowering reactive diluents. The use of the diluent does effect mechanical properties and microstructure of epoxy resins. Mechanical properties of epoxy resins are generally not improved by use of diluents. Biobased epoxy diluents are also available. Glycidylamine epoxy resins are higher functionality epoxies which are formed when aromatic amines are reacted with epichlorohydrin . Important industrial grades are triglycidyl- p -aminophenol (functionality 3) and N , N , N ′, N ′-tetraglycidyl-bis-(4-aminophenyl)-methane (functionality 4). The resins are low to medium viscosity at room temperature, which makes them easier to process than EPN or ECN resins. This coupled with high reactivity, plus high temperature resistance and mechanical properties of
5624-450: The world. Primarily used to heat/ keep food warm, or heat up water . In laboratory settings, hot plates are generally used to heat glassware or its contents. Some hot plates also contain an integrated magnetic stirrer , allowing the heated liquid to be stirred automatically. In a student laboratory, hot plates are used because baths can be hazards if they spill, overheat or ignite because they have high thermal inertia (meaning they take
5700-555: Was achieved, when Krauklis and Echtermeyer discovered the mechanistic origin of yellowing in a commonly used amine epoxy resin, published in 2018. They found that the molecular reason for epoxy yellowing was a thermo-oxidative evolution of carbonyl groups in the polymeric carbon–carbon backbone via a nucleophilic radical attack. Polyester epoxies are used as powder coatings for washers, driers and other "white goods". Fusion Bonded Epoxy Powder Coatings (FBE) are extensively used for corrosion protection of steel pipes and fittings used in
5776-543: Was first reported and patented by Paul Schlack of Germany in 1934. Claims of discovery of bisphenol-A -based epoxy resins include Pierre Castan in 1943. Castan's work was licensed by Ciba , Ltd. of Switzerland, which went on to become one of the three major epoxy resin producers worldwide. In 1946, Sylvan Greenlee, working for the Devoe ;& Raynolds Company (now part of Hexion Inc. ), patented resin derived from bisphenol-A and epichlorohydrin . Most of
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