Polyurethane-Modified Epoxy Resin: Solventless Preparation and Properties

A polyurethane-modified epoxy resin system with potential as an underfill material in electronic packaging and its preparation procedure were studied. The procedure enabled the practical incorporation of an aliphatic polyurethane precursor, synthesized from poly(ethylene glycol) and hexamethylene diisocyanate without a solvent, as a precrosslinking agent into a conventional epoxy resin. With a stoichiometric quantity of the polyurethane precursor added to the epoxy (ca. 5 phr) the polyurethane-modified epoxy resin, mixed with methylene dianiline, exhibited a 36% reduction in the contact angle with the epoxy-amine surface, a 31% reduction in the cure onset temperature versus the control epoxy system, and a viscosity within the processable range. The resultant amine-cured thermosets, meanwhile, exhibited enhanced thermal stability, flexural strength, storage modulus, and adhesion strength at the expense of a 5% increase in the coefficient of thermal expansion. Exceeding the stoichiometric quantity of the polyurethane precursor, however, reduced the thermal stability and modulus but further increased the coefficient of thermal expansion. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 111: 3094-3103,2009