Advanced Materials

Technical Datasheet

Araldite® MY 720 Resin

Product Description

Araldite® MY 720 is a tetrafunctional epoxy resin suitable for high performance composites
applications. Cured at 120°C (248°F) to 175°C (347°F), the Araldite ® MY 720 provides
outstanding performance characteristics at elevated temperatures. When post-cured at 200°C
(400°F), the system exhibits properties in excess of 220°C (430°F). Araldite® MY 720 systems
can display Tgs.

The applications of Araldite® MY 720 include advanced (carbon and boron fiber) composites
structures, high performance structural adhesives, structural laminating, and high energy
radiation resistance components. Chemically, it can be described as N,N,N',N'-Tetraglycidyl-
4,4'-methylenebisbenzenamine, with the chemical structure shown below.

Features
 Exceptionally good long-term high temperature performance
 High mechanical strength retention
 Extremely low shrinkage
 Excellent chemical resistance
 Excellent radiation stability
 Outstanding heat resistance and deflection temperature

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Typical Properties*

Property Value
Appearance Clear, dark brown semi-solid
Epoxy value, eq./kg 7.5 - 8.5
Epoxy equivalent weight, g/eq 117 - 134
Viscosity at 50°C, cP 8,000 - 18,000
Density at 25 °C, g/cm3 1.15 - 1.18
Flash point, closed cup, °C (°F) >149 (>300)

*Typical properties are based on Huntsman’s test methods. Copies are available upon request.

Processing

The final properties of an Araldite® MY 720 system depend on the hardener selection. Araldite® MY 720
can be cured with the following anhydride and aromatic amine hardeners:

Product Description
Aradur® HY 906 Nadic methyl anhydride
Aradur® HT 907 Hexahydrophthalic anhydride
Aradur® 917 Methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride
Aradur® 976-1 4,4’ Diaminodiphenyl sulfone
Aradur® 9719-1 3,3’ Diaminodiphenyl sulfone
Aradur® 5200 Liquid Aromatic Amine

Caution!

Care should always be taken when working with multifunctional epoxy resins like Araldite® MY 720.
Excessive heat can cause violent exothermic reactions. When heating Araldite® MY 720 in any large
quantities, 80°C (176°F) should be the upper temperature limit.

Unfilled batches scaled up to 5 kg should be carefully investigated by the user for possible exotherms.
In all cases, hot spots should be avoided when heating. Accelerators are not recommended where no
solvents or fillers are used. If accelerators are evaluated, extreme caution should be exercised.

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Formulation I

When using Araldite® MY 720 with Aradur® 976-1 to produce an unfilled casting, the following
procedure is suggested:

Mix Ratio
Product Parts by weight
Araldite® MY 720 100
Aradur® 976-1 Hardener 44

Carefully heat the Araldite® MY 720 to 135°C (275°F) and slowly stir in the Aradur® 976-1 hardener until
a clear mixture is obtained. (The total mass is 500g.) Maintain a temperature of 135°C (275°F), and
degas the mixture for 20 minutes at 30 inches of mercury. Then pour the material into molds and cure
at the cure schedule below.

For larger quantities up to 5 kg, the temperature should not be allowed to go above 125°C (257°F)
because a violent exotherm may result. Unfilled batches scaled-up to >5 kg should be carefully
investigated by the user for possible exotherms.

Processing Data
Property Formulation I
Gel time, min
@ 160°C 46.5
@ 180°C 20.5
@ 200°C 9.4
Typical cure cycle 0.5 h at 80°C +
0.5 h at 100°C +
1.5 h at 120°C +
2 h at 177°C

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Typical Physical Properties (Formulation I)

Unless otherwise stated, the data were determined with typical production batches using standard test
methods. They are typical values only, and do not constitute a product specification.

Property Value
Glass transition temperature, T g, °C
DMA (Dry) 254
DMA (Wet)1 210
Flexural strength, psi (MPa)
@ 25°C 20,000 (138)
@ 150°C 13,800 (95.2)
Flexural modulus, kpsi (GPa)
@ 25°C 485 (3.3)
@ 150°C 368 (2.5)
Tensile strength, psi (MPa)
@ 25°C 10,200 (70.4)
@ 150°C 8,500 (58.6)
Tensile modulus, kpsi (GPa)
@ 25°C 540 (3.7)
@ 150°C 360 (2.5)
Tensile elongation, %
@ 25°C 2.2
@ 150°C 2.6
Compressive strength, psi (MPa) 34,000 (235)
Compressive modulus, kpsi (GPa) 280 (1.9)

1
Wet conditioning is done in water at 160°F for 48 hours.
2
Water absorption is measured in boiling water for 48 hours.

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Formulation II

Mix Ratio
Product Parts by weight
Araldite® MY 720 100
Aradur® HY 906 100*

*When adding accelerator (DY 062), the hardener ratio (HY 906) can be reduced.

Heat the resin to about 70°C (158°F), add the hardener and stir until homogeneous. If an accelerator is
used with the system, cool the mixture to room temperature before adding the accelerator. For
preparation of wet lay-up laminates, a pouring temperature between 40°C (104°F) and 80°C (176°F) is
recommended.

Processing Data

System Viscosity End Point,* cP Pot life, h

40°C 60°C 80°C
Araldite® MY 720 500 - 2 1-2
Aradur® HY 906 1500 - 4-6 2
5000 10-18 6-9 2
Araldite® MY 720 500 - 0.5 - 1.5 0.5 - 1.0
Aradur® HY 906 1500 - 1.5 - 4 1
Accelerator DY 062 5000 3 - 11 3-6 1

*The pot life is defined as the time it takes for the system to reach the viscosity end point.

Parameter Value
Gel time 2 h at 100°C or
1 h at 120°C
Typical cure cycle* 8 h at 160°C or
3 h at 180°C

*Post-curing several hours at 200°C (392°F) will develop higher heat distortion temperatures.

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Formulation III

Mix Ratio
Product Parts by weight
Araldite® MY 720 100
Aradur® HT 907 100

Heat the resin and hardener separately to 50 - 60°C (122 - 140°F); add the hardener to the resin and
stir until homogeneous. The recommended pouring temperature for preparation of wet lay-up is
between 40°C (104°F) and 80°C (176°F).

Processing Data

System Viscosity End Point,* cP Pot life, h

40°C 60°C 80°C
Araldite® MY 720 500 - 1.25 0.75
Aradur® HT 907 1500 2-6 2-5 1.25
5000 4 - 12 4-7 1.50

*The pot life is defined as the time it takes for the system to reach the viscosity end point.

Parameter Value
Initial Viscosity, cP
@ 40°C (104°F) 750
@ 60°C (140°F) 180
@ 80°C (176°F) 30

Typical Physical Properties (Formulations II and III)

Property Formulation II Formulation III

Deflection temperature 180 - 200°C1 174 - 190°C3
250 - 260°C2
Dielectric constant,
1 kHz @ 20°C 3.7 - 3.9 3.6 - 3.8
Loss tangent (tan δ).
1 kHz @ 20°C 0.005 - 0.01 0.009 - 0.013
1
Curing for 20 minutes 1 hour @ 120°C and 2 - 3 hours @ 180°C
2
Post cure 24 hours @ 200°C
3
Curing for 30 minutes @ 120°C and 15 hours @ 180°C; post cure gives no advantage

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Adhesive Formulations

Mix Ratio
Product Formulation 1, pbw Formulation 2, pbw
Araldite® MY 720 100 100
Aradur® HY 906 120 ---
Methylene bisbenzamine (MDA) --- 44
Formvar 7/70* 22 14

*Supplied by former Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO

Test panels were prepared by spreading the adhesive systems as solutions in acetone or methyl
cellosolve onto 2023 T, Alcad Aluminum. The test joints were 1 inch by 0.5 inch overlap. Cure
conditions at constant pressure (100 psi) were 1 h at 140°C (284°F) followed by 2 h at 180°C (356°F)
and 2 h at 200°C (392°F).

Typical Physical Properties (Adhesive Formulations I and II)

Average Breaking Tensile Shear
Formulation 1 Formulation 2
Strength, psi
Average Breaking Tensile Shear
Strength, Initial, psi
@ 25°C 2400 2240
@ 150°C 1460 1770
@ 200°C 960 1520
Average Breaking Tensile Shear
Strength, after 192 h at 200°C, psi
@ 25°C 1824 2510
@ 150°C 1460 2160
@ 200°C 1346 1826
Average Breaking Tensile Shear
Strength, after 1000 h at 200°C, psi
@ 25°C 1444 2364
@ 150°C 1708 1836
@ 200°C 1160 1512
Strength retention, after 192 h @ 200°C,
%
@ 25°C 76 112
@ 150°C 100 122
@ 200°C 140 120
Strength retention, after 1000 h @
200°C, %
@ 25°C 60 105
@ 150°C 117 104
@ 200°C 121 100

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Advanced Composites Formulation

Two basic processes are used for the manufacturing of composite prepregs, i.e., the hot melt and the
solution impregnation process. An example of the latter method follows below.

Mix Ratio
Product Parts by weight
Araldite® MY 720 100
Aradur® HT 976-1 Hardener 44

Solution preparation

Warm Araldite® MY 720 to 40°C (104°F) and stir in an Acetone/Methyl Ethyl Ketone mix (50:50) until a
30 - 35% solids by weight solution is obtained. This solution can be cooled to room temperature or left
at 40°C. Then add the Aradur® 976-1 hardener and dissolve. Continue rapid stirring until the solution is
homogeneous (a paint shaker will dissolve the Aradur® 976-1 hardener in less time). This solution
should be stored at ~4°C (40°F) and is stable for six months.

Impregnating / Prepregging

Unidirection graphite yarn is passed through the above solution and wound onto a drum winder yielding
a tape. It is advisable to measure the viscosity and gel time of the resin / hardener system from time to
time in order to keep the properties of the resulting prepreg constant. The impregnated tape is air dried
up to one hour and B-staged for three minutes at 120°C (248°F). Staging is usually done in a drying
tower with different steps staging cycles depending on the efficiency of the drying tower. The resulting
prepreg has good drape and tack characteristics and can be stored at 0°C (32°F) for 3 - 4 months. The
best way of checking the quality of the finished prepreg is to determine the degree of flow and its
solvent and resin content.

Molding and Curing of Prepregs

Generally, prepregs are adaptable to vacuum bag, pressure bag, matched die, press autoclave, and
tape winding processing methods, by combining heat and pressure for the curing. Resin flow and gel
time are precisely controlled to fit each specific molding process.

The above prepreg example was compression molded with the following step cure cycle:
 Room temperature to 177°C (351°F) @ 3°C (5°F) per minute
 Hold 90 minutes @ 177°C (351°F)
 Apply 100 psi at the gel point (10-20 minutes into the hold) Cool to room temperature
 Post cure 4 hours @ 204°C (399°F)

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Typical Physical Properties (Advanced Composites Formulation)

All composite samples in question are based on 30 weight percent resin content, using the following
test methods:

Test Panel Classification

Short beam shear 20 ply 0° ASTM D-2344
Flexural properties 10 ply 0° ASTM D-790
Matrix tensile 14 ply oriented at ASTM D-3039
+45/90 -45/90 tested
in 0° direction

Property Value
Short beam shear, psi (MPa)
@ -59°C 11,200 (77.2)
@ RT 10,500 (92.4)
@ 93°C 9400 (64.8)
Flexural strength, psi (MPa)
@ -59°C 209,000 (1441.4)
@ RT 228,000 (15712.5)
@ 93°C 227,000 (1565.6)
Flexural modulus, psi x 10, (GPa)
@ -59°C 13.2 (9.1)
@ RT 14.8 (10.2)
@ 93°C 14.9 (10.3)
Matrix tensile strength, psi (MPa)
@ -59°C 13,600 (93.7)
@ RT 14,700 (101.4)
Matrix tensile modulus, psi (GPa)
@ -59°C 498,000 (3.4)
@ RT 539,000 (3.7)
Matrix tensile elongation, %
@ -59°C 4.3
@ RT 3.5
Glass transition temperature,
T g, °C (°F) 200 (392)

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Properties of Glasscloth Laminates

Product / Property Formulation A, pbw Formulation B, pbw

Araldite® MY 720 100 100
Aradur® HY 906 120 --
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Aradur HT 907 -- 110
Curing Schedule 1.5 h at 120°C + 1 h at 120°C +
4 h at 180°C 2 h at 180°C
Resin to glass weight ratio 41:59 39:61
Flexural strength, psi
@ RT 68,000 - 75,000 71,000 - 77,000
@ RT after 2 h 100°C H2O 67,000 - 74,000 70,000 - 75,000
@ 170°C -- 30,000 - 35,000
@ 190°C 45,000 - 51,000 --
@ 190°C after conditioning for 55,000 - 61,000 --
24 hours at 190°C

Storage

Araldite ® MY 720 Resin is packed in 145 pound drums. It should be stored in a dry place, in the sealed
original container, away from excessive heat and humidity, at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C
(35.6°F and 46.4°F). Under these storage conditions, the shelf life is 1.5 years (from date of
manufacture). The product should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

Precautionary Statement
Huntsman Advanced Materials Americas LLC maintains up-to-date Safety Data Sheets (SDS) on all of
its products. These sheets contain pertinent information that you may need to protect your employees
and customers against any known health or safety hazards associated with our products. Users should
review the latest MSDS to determine possible health hazards and appropriate precautions to implement
prior to using this material.

First Aid!
Refer to SDS as mentioned above.

KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN

FOR PROFESSIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY

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Important Legal Notice

Sales of the product described herein (“Product”) are subject to the general terms and conditions of sale of either
Huntsman Advanced Materials LLC, or its appropriate affiliate including without limitation Huntsman Advanced
Materials (Europe) BVBA, Huntsman Advanced Materials Americas Inc., or Huntsman Advanced Materials (Hong
Kong) Ltd. (“Huntsman”). The following supercedes Buyer’s documents.

Huntsman warrants that at the time and place of delivery all Products sold to Buyer shall conform to the
specifications provided to Buyer by Huntsman.

While the information and recommendations included in this publication are, to the best of Huntsman’s knowledge,
accurate as of the date of publication, NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN (EXCEPT AS SET FORTH ABOVE
REGARDING CONFORMANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS PROVIDED TO BUYER BY HUNTSMAN) IS TO BE
CONSTRUED AS A REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, NONINFRINGEMENT OF ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, OR WARRANTIES AS TO
QUALITY OR CORRESPONDENCE WITH PRIOR DESCRIPTION OR SAMPLE, AND THE BUYER ASSUMES
ALL RISK AND LIABILITY WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM THE USE OF SUCH PRODUCT, WHETHER
USED SINGLY OR IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER SUBSTANCES.

No statements or recommendations made herein are to be construed as a representation about the suitability of
any Product for the particular application of Buyer or user or as an inducement to infringe any patent or other
intellectual property right. Buyer is responsible to determine the applicability of such information and
recommendations and the suitability of any Product for its own particular purpose, and to ensur e that its intended
use of the Product does not infringe any intellectual property rights.

The Product may be or become hazardous. The Buyer should obtain Material Safety Data Sheets and Technical
Data Sheets from Huntsman containing detailed information on Product hazards and toxicity, together with proper
shipping, handling and storage procedures for the Product, and should comply with all applicable governmental
laws, regulations and standards relating to the handling, use, storage, distribution and disposal of, and exposure
to the Product. Buyer shall also take all steps necessary to adequately inform, warn and familiarize its employees,
agents, direct and indirect customers and contractors who may handle or be exposed to the Product of all
hazards pertaining to and proper procedures for safe handling, use, storage, transportation and disposal of and
exposure to the Product, and the containers or equipment in which the Product may be handled, shipped or
stored.

[Product Brand] is a registered trademark of Huntsman LLC or an affiliate thereof in one or more, but not all
countries.

© 2015 Huntsman Advanced Materials Inc.

Main Offices:

Huntsman Corporation Huntsman Advanced Technology Center

10003 Woodloch Forest Dr 8600 Gosling Rd.
The Woodlands, TX 77380 The Woodlands, TX 77381
888-564-9318 281-719-7400

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