Effects of Ru catalyst changes by atmospheric exposure days on the interfacial and impact properties of glass fiber/p-DCPD composites

Abstract

The ruthenium (Ru) catalyst is the most recently developed poly dicyclopentadiene (p-DCPD) polymer catalyst known to promote stable reactions, even upon contact with oxygen. However, the experimental results showed that exposure times exceeding three days can cause problems during curing due to reaction between oxygen and Ru catalyst. Consequently, 12 days of exposure degraded the mechanical and interfacial properties of p-DCPD or p-DCPD composites reinforced with 40 wt% 50-mm GF by 60%. The structural analysis simulation of the target product also showed noticeable changes in the catalyst that was exposed to air atmosphere for more than six days, which can deteriorate quality. This study demonstrated that when molding structures using p-DCPD, special care should be taken to control atmospheric exposure of the ruthenium catalyst.