Investigation and Development of Epoxy Foams

The development of low toxicity rigid epoxy foams as an alternative to polyurethane foams for electronics encapsulation is described. The basic foam components - epoxy resin, hardener, accelerator, blowing agent and surfactant - are blended to form a two part system which is mixed and foamed when required. Each foam component is selected for its contribution to the foaming reaction and the final foam properties. The balance of component miscibility, viscosity, reaction rate and exotherm determine foam quality. Foam properties are affected by (1) density (2) cell structure and (3) the molecular structure of the reactants. Initial foam development utilised epoxy/amine chemistry and produced two foams, Feldex F3 and F4. Subsequently, use of a more reactive polymercaptan hardener improved foam strength and process times, resulting in Feldex F5 and F6 which have been used successfully to prepare quality mouldings and encapsulated electronics. Recently, development has been extended to new areas of application, e.g. high temperature foams. The mechanical, electrical, thermal and chemical properties of the best epoxy foams have been evaluated; selected results are reported. The epoxy foams developed offer low density, high strength, low dielectric constant and loss tangent, high volume resistivity, good thermal insulation, low corrosivity and low toxicity. In addition, epoxy foams soften in acetone, an advantage over their polyurethane counterparts since encapsulated electronics may be retrieved without employing corrosive solvents. (Feldex is a registered trade mark of THORN EMI Electronics.)