Investigating the transfer of toughness from rubber modified bulk epoxy polymers to syntactic foams

Syntactic foams are lightweight, high specific strength materials used in the aerospace and naval industries. Their utility is limited by their brittleness. The epoxy polymer matrix an epoxy/hollow glass microsphere (GMS) syntactic foam was modified using carboxyl-terminated butadiene-acrylonitrile (CTBN) rubber with aim to increase fracture toughness. microstructure properties were investigated, compared CTBN bulk polymers. formation of complex microstructures responsible for energy, from 193 J/m 2 unmodified foam, 296 at 12 wt% modification. However, this much smaller than modification polymers, where 101 1112 measured same concentration. There little toughness transfer polymers foams, attributable small interstitial regions between GMS, restricting plastic zone size. A statistical approach analytical modelling energy highlights importance considering underlying distribution particle void sizes. achieved work can overall usefulness structural applications.