Poly(ester imide)s, prepared by the reaction of phthalic anhydride, N-(4-carboxyphenyl) trimellitimide and 1,2-ethanediol, were used to improve the toughness of bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether epoxy resin cured with 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS). The poly(ester imide)s include poly(ethylene phthalate-co-ethylene N-(1,4-phenylene) trimellitimide dicarboxylate)s (PESIs) having 10, 20 and 30 mol% trimellitimide (TI) units, respectively. PESIs having 10 and 20 mol% TI units were effective as modi®ers for toughening the cured epoxy resin. For example, the inclusion of 20 wt% of PESI (20 mol% TI unit, M W 19300 g mol À1 ) led to a 55% increase in the fracture toughness (K IC ) of the cured resin (with an increase in¯exural strength and modulus) and the modi®ed resin had a particulate morphology. PESI having 30 mol% TI units was not effective because of degradation of the modi®er by DDS. The toughening mechanism is discussed in terms of morphological and dynamic viscoelastic behaviour of the modi®ed epoxy resin system.
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