The effects of 1D multi‐wall carbon nanotubes and 2D graphene nanoplatelets on curing behavior of epoxy/vinyl ester interpenetrating polymer network nanocomposites

Abstract This study meticulously investigated the effect of two carbon allotrope nanofillers, two‐dimensional graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) and one‐dimensional multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) individually, at various loadings on the kinetics of curing of the epoxy (EP)/vinyl ester (VE) based interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) system, with a mass ratio of 1:1. The IPN system is including a liquid epoxy resin based on bisphenol A which has been cured by methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MTHPA) in the presence of 1‐methyl imidazole (Mi) as an accelerator and a vinyl ester resin based on bisphenol A which has been cured by methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP). The curing behavior of all prepared nanocomposites under non‐isothermal conditions was studied using DSC at four heating rates. Two different isoconversional approaches were applied to evaluate the reaction kinetics, that is, the Friedman and the advanced Vyazovkin methods. The obtained activation energy curves for all samples revealed a complex curing behavior involving three stages: early IPN stage, IPN growth stage, and late IPN stage. Then, the activation energy values for each reaction step were determined based on the Friedman method. The presence of GnPs showed no catalytic effect on the reaction of VE with MEKP. In contrast, incorporating MWCNT nanoparticles considerably decreases the activation energy values of the reaction of ring opening of epoxides with MTHPA‐Mi and the reaction of esterification of the hydroxyl groups of VE with MTHPA. Highlights MWCNTs reduce activation energy in curing reactions for EP/MTHPA‐Mi and VE/MTHPA. GnPs do not catalyze VE/MEKP reaction unlike MWCNTs. Combining MWCNTs and GnPs enhances properties of IPN nanocomposites. Curing process includes early, growth, and late IPN stages impacting activation energy. SEM analysis reveals better dispersion of GnPs in IPN nanocomposites with MWCNTs.