Surface improver for reinforced composite compositions

Abstract

The invention is a composition comprising a blend of two or more epoxide containing compositions selected from epoxidized vegetable oils, epoxidized alkyl esters or cycloaliphatic epoxides. In another embodiment, the invention is a blend of one or more epoxidized vegetable oils, epoxidized alkyl esters, or cycloaliphatic epoxides with one or more aromatic epoxides or epoxy functionalized polyoxyalkylene polyols.

1 . An epoxy resin composition comprising a blend of two or more epoxide compositions selected from epoxidized vegetable oil, epoxidized alkyl esters and cycloaliphatic epoxides, or a blend of one or more epoxide compositions selected from epoxidized alkyl esters and cycloaliphatic epoxides with one or more epoxide compositions selected from aromatic epoxides and polyoxyalkylene epoxides.  
   
   
       2 . A composition according to  claim 1  which comprises from 25 percent to 75 percent by weight based on the total weight of the epoxides of one epoxide composition and 25 percent to 75 percent by weight of a second epoxide composition based on the weight of the epoxide composition.  
   
   
       3 . A composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein one of the epoxy compositions is an epoxidized vegetable oil.  
   
   
       4 . A composition according to  claim 3  wherein the second epoxide composition is an epoxidized alkyl ester or a cycloaliphatic epoxide.  
   
   
       5 . An epoxy resin composition according to any one of  claims 1  to  4  wherein the composition has an oxirane number of 8.8 or less and a viscosity of 1000 cps (1.0 Pa·s) or less.  
   
   
       6 . A surface improver for unsaturated thermosetting resin composition which composition comprises the epoxy resin composition according to any one of  claims 1  to  7 , a thermoplastic additive comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and a compound capable of dissolving the thermoplastic additive and epoxy composition.  
   
   
       7 . The composition of  claim 6  wherein the compound capable of dissolving the thermoplastic resin and epoxy composition is a crosslinking monomer capable of copolymerizing with unsaturated thermosetting resins.  
   
   
       8 . The composition of  claim 7  wherein the thermoplastic additive is present in an amount of 12 to 35 parts by weight, the epoxy composition is present in an amount of 1 part to 25 parts by weight and the crosslinking monomer is present in an amount of 40 parts to 87 parts by weight wherein there are a total of 100 parts by weight.  
   
   
       9 . A thermosetting resin composition comprising: 
 a) one or more unsaturated thermosetting resins;    b) one or more crosslinking monomers; and    c) a surface improver composition according to any one of  claims 6  to  8 .    
   
   
       10 . The composition of  claim 9  wherein the surface improver composition comprises 25 to 45 parts of 100 parts of components a), b) and c).  
   
   
       11 . Molded parts comprising the composition of  claim 9  or  10  wherein the surface of the molded object has improved surface smoothness as compared to molded parts which do not contain part c).