Curing agents for epoxy resins based on 1,2-diaminocyclohexane

Abstract

A method of curing an epoxy resin comprising mixing an epoxy resin with a curing agent is provided. The curing agent is selected from the group consisting of (i) a mixture consisting essentially of 1,2-diaminocyclohexane and an aliphatic polyamine (preferably at a molar ratio of 1,2-diaminocyclohexane to aliphatic polyamine of from about 1:1 to about 16:1, preferably about 2.5:1 to about 6:1 and more preferably about 3:1 to about 5:1) and (ii) the reaction product of reactants consisting essentially of an amine component consisting essentially of 1,2-diaminocyclohexane and an aliphatic polyamine and an epoxide component. The epoxide component has an epoxy functionality greater than one and is preferably a diglycidyl ether of an aromatic diol having an average degree of oligomerization of less than about 3.5., preferably less than about 1.5, and preferably derived from an alkyl bis-phenol, e.g. bisphenol A. The ratio of primary amine equivalents of said amine component to the total epoxide equivalents of said epoxide component are greater than one, i.e. the molar equivalents of primary amine groups of said amine component are in excess of the molar equivalents of epoxide groups, e.g. a ratio of from about 1.5:1 to 50:1, preferably from about 3:1 to about 20:1, more preferably from about 6:1 to about 15:1.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.