Preparation of nano-Ag particles and their modification on the mechanical and dielectric properties of epoxy resin

Nano-Ag particles stabilized by a hyperbranched polymer (HBP) template were prepared for modifying the epoxy resin. The effects of preparation condition on the size and size distribution of Ag colloidal particles were studied. The Ag@HBP particles were then compounded with the epoxy resin to obtain the Ag@HBP/ epoxy composites and the mechanical and dielectric properties of these composites were investigated. Dynamic mechanical analysis results show that the composites have higher loss factors than does the unmodified epoxy resin, which indicate better dissipation of mechanical energy and hence better shock or impact resistance. Fracture morphology of the composite shows a toughness feature. From the dielectric test results, the breakdown strength and dielectric constant of the composites at room temperature are increased, which can be explained by the Coulomb block effect. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 49:2189-2194, 2009.