Assessment of the thermal properties and operation temperature for metal–organic frameworks and amine-functionalized metal–organic frameworks/epoxy/novolac composites: A comparative study

Abstract

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are known for their excellent physical and thermal properties. In the current paper, the use of thermally stable MOFs in the preparation of epoxy composites were studied and their tolerance to high temperatures was investigated in terms of degradation kinetics and operating temperature. UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2 were used to prepare a series of novel composites from epoxy resin and Novolac (EU and EUN samples, respectively). The effect of the amine groups presented in the UiO-66-NH2 structure on the thermal stability was studied using decomposition activation energy (Ea). The Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Ozawa models were used to study the Ea, where it was increased from 166.7 kJ·mol−1 in neat epoxy samples to 238.58 kJ·mol−1 in EUN samples by using only 0.5 Phr of the UiO-66-NH2. Moreover, the operating temperature of the prepared composites was calculated and compared for four sets of heating rates. Up to 10 % mass loss, the mean operating temperature for using the neat epoxy, EU, and EUN composites for 20,000 h, was found to be 184.17 ℃, 246.26 ℃, and 247.73 ℃, respectively. This approach can pave the way for using MOFs as fillers in preparing innovative thermoset composites. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd