Effect of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) content on thermal and mechanical properties of ternary blend systems based on cardanol-based vinyl ester resin, styrene and glycidyl methacrylate

• Ternary blends of cardanol-based vinyl ester resin, styrene and GMA were prepared.
• Samples cured only with GMA were most thermally stable.
• Increase of GMA content decreased the tensile strength.
• Impact strength and elongation-at-break increased with increased GMA content.
• Blend showed good resistance to acids, deionized water, synthetic water and MTO.

Cardanol-based vinyl ester resin (CVER) was prepared by reacting indigenously synthesized cardanol-based epoxidized novolac resin (CENR) with methacrylic acid (MA) in the presence of triphenylphosphine as catalyst. Five samples of cardanol-based vinyl ester resin containing styrene and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), as diluents, in the weight ratios 40:0, 30:10, 20:20, 10:30 and 0:40 were prepared at room temperature. Sharp exotherms were observed in DSC scans in the temperature range of 60–170 °C. The onset temperature (Tonset), peak exothermic temperature (Tp) and completion temperature (Tstop) decreased with increase in GMA content in the ternary blend systems of CVER/styrene/GMA. A broad exotherm was observed after the initial sharp exotherm that was attributed to the etherification reaction. Cured samples were found to be stable up to 205–235 °C and started loosing weight above this temperature. Rapid decomposition was observed in the temperature range of 400–550 °C as evidenced by TGA analysis. Increase of GMA content in ternary blend systems of CVER/styrene/GMA lowered the tensile strength progressively and enhanced the impact strength and elongation-at-break. The cured films of VER containing mixture of styrene and GMA exhibited good gloss and impact resistance. The chemical resistance of cured films of VER containing mixture of styrene and GMA showed good resistance to acids, deionized water, synthetic sea water and mineral turpentine oil.

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