Effects of phosphorus compounds, montmorillonite clay on the thermo-mechanical properties of epoxy resins and their coatings

Abstract This study investigates the effects of triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and montmorillonite (MMT) clay on the thermo-mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites and coatings based on Kukdo YD-011X75 epoxy resin cured with G-5022. TPP and MMT were dispersed into the epoxy resin using mechanical stirring combined with ultrasonic treatment. The morphology and dispersion state were characterized by SEM, XRD, and TEM, while thermal behavior was evaluated using TGA and DTG. The results confirmed uniform clay dispersion and partial exfoliation within the epoxy matrix. The incorporation of 4 wt.% TPP and 1 wt.% MMT individually increased the impact strength by 61.8% and 47.1%, respectively. A pronounced synergistic effect was observed for the combined system, yielding an impact strength of 100 KG·cm (194.1% higher than neat epoxy). The optimized coating exhibited enhanced thermal stability and is promising for heat-resistant protective coating applications.