Research On Properties Of Solid Buoyancy Materials Based On Epoxy Resins For Deep-sea Application

There are rich of mineral and biological resources in deap-sea, deep-sea exploration has become the frontier and focus of marine science and technology development in 21st century.The deap-sea equipment is relyed on by ocean development, the high strength solid buoyancy mater:ials which compensate to the buoyancy is one of the most important general materials. The high pressure, low density and low water imbition of buoyancy materials is the key of deep-sea technology at present. This paper research the suction behavior of different types epoxy resin curing system which is under hydrostatic pressure, and discovery the comprehensive performance epoxy curing system, then prepared the density range of 0.55?0.80 g/cm3 buoyancy materials which is high strength, low water absorption.By the water absorption under hydrostatic pressure and tensile properties research of bisphenol A, bisphenol F, hydrogenated bisphenol A and comprehensive epoxy resin, study the influence of epoxy value, main chain flexibility, lateral flexibility and special group on the performance of resin. The results show that the lower value, the bibulous rate is higher, the main chain, side chain flexibility and ester groups are advantageous to the water absorption.The hydrostatic pressure maintaining experiment of amide, ester amine, aromatic amine and acide anhydride curing agent were carried, the influence of different curing agents on properties of resin were studied. The results showed that the comprehensive performance of 651, Me-THPA, H256 and IPDA is more outstanding.The infrared scanning and scanning electron microcope observation of TDE85/651 and TDE85/T403 which were by hydrostatic pressure treated before and after processing. It shows that the form of water in resin system is free water and bound water. By inducing resin hydrolysis and irreversible damage, hydrostatic pressure promotes water molecules into the resin.Solid buoyancy materials were prepared by adding the selected glass microsphere to epoxy resin, and the density, viscosity, uniaxial compression strength and hydrostatic pressure strength of manterials was studied. With the increase of glass microsphere, buoyancy material density decreases gradually, the same as the uniaxial compressive strength and hydrostatic strength. When the glass microsphere volume fraction is more than 44%, material performance sharply declined. The performance of materials is decided by glass microballoon.The buoyancy material prepared by high strength glass microsphere has excellent uniaxial compressive strength and high hydrostatic pressure strength, density as well.The effects of curing agent on the properties of buoyancy material were systematically studied. The best content of curing agent H256, IPDA, Me-THPA and 651 are investigated.And the effects of different curing agent on uniaxial compression strength, hydrostatic pressure strength and water absorption change with the increase of holding time are also studied. It was found that the performance of buoyancy material prepared by difference curing system is obvious. The hydrostatic strength followed by Me-THPA, H256, IPDA and 651.The Me-THPA curing system hydrostatic pressure strength of 35 MPa, and 651 curing system is only 7 MPa, despite including same volume fraction of galss microsphere.