Method of making epoxide resin-impregnated composites

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, in which the epoxide resin contains at least one group of formula ##STR7## directly attached to an atom of oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur, where either R and R 2 each represent a hydrogen atom, in which case R 1 denotes a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, or R and R 2 together represent --CH 2 CH 2 --, in which case R 1 denotes a hydrogen atom.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, in which the epoxide resin is a diglycidyl ether of a dihydric phenol or of a dihydric alcohol, an N,N'-diglycidyl derivative of a hydantoin, an advanced such diglycidyl ether, or an advanced such N,N'-diglycidyl derivative of a hydantoin.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, in which the said heat-activated curing agent is a polycarboxylic acid anhydride, dicyandiamide, a complex of boron trifluoride or of boron trichloride, a latent boron difluoride chelate, an imidazole, or an aromatic polyamine.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1, in which the said heat-activated curing agent comprises from 0.5 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the epoxide resin.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, in which the said composition also contains a photopolymerisation catalyst.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst comprises from 0.1 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the epoxide resin.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is an aromatic 'onium salt which liberates a Lewis acid on exposure to actinic radiation.

Claim 10

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is a diazonium salt.

Claim 11

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is of the formula ##STR8## where R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 independently each represent a hydrogen or halogen atom or an alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, nitro, or sulfonyl group, Q represent an oxygen or sulfur atom or an imino group, R 6 and R 7 individually represent an alkyl group or, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, represent a saturated or unsaturated 5- or 6-membered mononuclear heterocyclic residue, a saturated or unsaturated 5- or 6-membered mononuclear heterocylic residue also containing in the ring an oxygen atom, a saturated or unsaturated 5- or 6-membered mononuclear heterocyclic residue also containing in the ring a sulfur atom, or a saturated or unsaturated mononuclear heterocyclic residue containing in the ring a second nitrogen atom, R 8 represent a halogen atom or a nitro, N-morpholino, alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, amino, arylamino, alkylamino, or arylmercapto group, n is the oxidation state of M, m is the number of diazonium groups in the diazonium salt, and MX n+m represents hexachlorostannate, tetrachloroferrate, hexafluorophosphate, hexafluoroarsenate, hexachloroantimonate, hexafluoroantimonate, or pentachlorobismuthate.

Claim 12

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is an aromatic ammonium, arsonium, phosphonium, sulfonium, or selenonium tetrafluoroborate or hexafluorophosphate.

Claim 13

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is an aromatic halogenonium salt.

Claim 14

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is an aromatic iodonium tetrafluoroborate, hexafluorophosphate, hexafluoroantimonate, hexachlorantimonate, tetrachlorostannate, tetrachloroferrate, pentachlorobismuthate, hydrogen sulfate, nitrate, or hexafluoroarsenate.

Claim 15

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is a sulfonium or iodonium salt of a sulfonic acid.

Claim 16

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is a sulfonium salt of the formula ##STR9## or an iodonium salt of the formula ##STR10## where R 9 is a monovalent aromatic organic group, R 10 is a monovalent alkyl, cycloalkyl, or substituted alkyl group, R 11 is an aliphatic or aromatic residue forming, with the indicated sulfur atom, a heterocyclic structure which may contain a condensed ring, R 12 is a divalent aromatic residue, a is zero or an integer of 1 to 3, b is zero, 1, or 2, c is zero or 1, such that the sum of a+b+c is 3, d is zero or 2, e is zero or 1, such that one, but not both, of d and e is zero, and R 13 is a fluorine atom, an aromatic hydrocarbon residue of 6 to 13 carbon atoms, an aromatic residue consisting of halogen atoms, hydrogen atoms, and from 6 to 13 carbon atoms, an alkyl group of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or a halogen-substituted alkyl group of 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

Claim 17

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is an o-alkylnitrobenzene.

Claim 18

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is of the formula ##STR11## where R 14 and R 15 each represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, aryl, carbalkoxy, pyridyl, carbazolyl, N-oxidopyridyl, nitroalkyl, nitroaryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, haloalkyl, or haloaryl group, and R 16 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, aryl, nitroalkyl, nitroaryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, haloalkyl, or haloaryl group.

Claim 19

The method of claim 5, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is a mixture of an organohalogen compound containing alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, alkoxy, or aryloxy groups and an organometalloidal compound of formula (R.sup.17).sub.3 E where each R 17 represents a hydrogen atom or hydrocarbon group such that at least one group R 17 is a hydrocarbon group and E represents a phosphorus, antimony, arsenic, or bismuth atom.

Claim 20

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is a chromate or dichromate of an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, or ammonium.

Claim 21

The method of claim 6, in which the photopolymerisation catalyst is a polyhalogenated organic compound that yields a halogen-free radical at a relatively low bond dissociation energy.