Preparation and properties of poly(urea–formaldehyde) microcapsules filled with epoxy resins

The poly(urea–formaldehyde) (PUF) microcapsules filled with epoxy resins have potential for self-healing or toughening polymeric composites. A series of PUF microcapsules containing epoxy resins were synthesized by selecting different process parameters including surfactant type, surfactant concentration, adjusting time for pH value and heating rate. The effects of process parameters on the size and surface morphology of microcapsules were discussed. The storage stability, solvent resistance and the mechanical strength of microcapsules were investigated. The morphology of microcapsules was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM). The results indicate that the formation of microcapsules is affected by the surfactant type. The size of microcapsules can be controlled by the surfactant concentration. The surface morphology of microcapsules can be adjusted by the surfactant concentration, the adjusting time for pH and the heating rate. The microcapsules prepared by using surfactant sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) show good storage stability, excellent solvent resistance and appropriate mechanical strength.