Investigation of polyamine quinones as hydrophobic curatives for epoxy resins

Abstract Polyamine quinones (PAQs), which have been used previously to produce solvent‐based coatings with exceptional durability in corrosive environments, were synthesized and blended with an aliphatic diamine (diethylenetriamine, DETA) to provide a liquid, epoxy curing agent. The PAQ–amine mixture was evaluated as a curing agent for an epoxy matrix resin system for glass‐reinforced composites. After elevated temperature water exposure, short‐beam shear and dynamic mechanical analyses were performed on the composites. The ability of PAQs to enhance fiber–resin bonding was evaluated. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), which is a sensitive measurement of fiber‐resin interactions, showed that the PAQ curative enhances strength retention of composites exposed to aggressive environments. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.