MATERIALE PLASTICE https://revmaterialeplastice.ro https://doi.org/10.37358/Mat.Plast.1964 Mater. Plast., 58 (2), 2021, 220-228 220 https://doi.org/10.37358/MP.21.2.5494 Mechanical Properties of Some Epoxy-PMMA Blends GEORGEL MIHU 1 , SEBASTIAN-MARIAN DRAGHICI 1 , VASILE BRIA 1,2 , ADRIAN CIRCIUMARU 1,2* , IULIAN-GABRIEL BIRSAN 1,2 1 Research and Development Center for Thermoset Matrix Composites - CCDCOMT, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 111 th Domneasca Str., 800008, Galati, Romania 2 Cross-border Faculty, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 111 th Domneasca Str., 800008, Galati, Romania Abstract: The thermoset polymers and the thermoplastic polymers matrix composites require different forming techniques due to the different properties of two classes of polymers. While the forming technique for thermoset polymer matrix composites does not require the use of special equipment, the thermoplastic polymer matrix composites imposes the rigorous control of temperature and pressure values. Each type of polymer transfers to the composite a set of properties that may be required for a certain application. It is difficult to design a composite with commonly brittle thermoset polymer matrix showing properties of a viscoelastic thermoplastic polymer matrix composite. One solution may consist in mixing a thermoset and a thermoplastic polymer getting a polymer blend that can be used as matrix to form a composite. This study is about using PMMA solutions to obtain thermoset-thermoplastic blends and to mechanically characterize the obtained materials. Three well known organic solvents were used to obtain the PMMA solutions, based on a previous study concerning with the effect of solvents presence into the epoxy structure. Keyword: epoxy resin, PMMA, organic solvents, tensile tests 1. Introduction The nowadays life is depending more and more on the characteristics of materials that are used to produce high quality goods. In this regard, in automotive industry, it is well known the fact that the use of composites leads to lowering of fossil fuels consumption along with an improvement of its efficiency due to the simple fact that the composites are generally showing lower specific weight. The needs for environmental protection will determine perhaps a huge spreading of composites employment in many applications even they are more expensive than the traditional materials (wood, metal, etc.). However, according to the economic laws, sooner or later, the price of composites will lower once the technologies and raw materials will become cheaper. The thermoplastic polymers are processed at relatively elevated values of the temperatures and require special equipment with a high level of parameters control in order to obtain quality materials. In this case the raw materials are cheaper and their waste is recyclable – as is the case of polyethylene terephthalate but, not only. The technology – mainly injection molding – to obtain high quality materials refers to the bulk materials and the high control of processing parameters is imposed by the need to avoid the voids into the material volume. To form composites with thermoplastic polymer matrix is more difficult because the presence of a structure (what will become the reinforcement of the composite) inside the mold is increasing the need of parameters control. On another hand, the thermoset polymers are brittle solids but their formation implies less technology and equipment since they are resulting from chemical reactions of two liquid components (as the simplest method). The thermoset polymer composites are also easy to be formed using the well-known wet lay-up technique that requires only patience and attention from the manufacturer. Of course handling of the reinforcements had been replaced by automat machines what are cutting and placing the materials and even are ensuring the pre-polymer spraying on the surfaces of the reinforcement sheets. *email: adrian.circiumaru@ugal.ro