Choosing the Right Specialty Anhydride: When to use Meth/E Anhydride (NMA)
In this installation of our blog series, Choosing the Right Specialty Anhydride, we’re highlighting the unique aspects of Meth/E Anhydride. Meth/E has excellent electrical properties and works as an outstanding epoxy curing agent.
What is Meth/E Anhydride?
Meth/E is a liquid alicyclic anhydride, meaning that it’s partly composed of an alicyclic compound of one or more carbon chain rings. It can be utilized on its own as a product, or used to modify other anhydrides, lowering their freezing points and making them easier to handle.
The properties of Meth/E
Meth/E is valued for its excellent electrical properties and high temperature performance, as well as many other excellent characteristics, such as easy handling and a long pot life. The product exhibits compatibility with solid and liquid epoxy resins as well as low exotherm and low volatility, being less reactive than amines. In addition, Meth/E creates little to no odor, and can be used in low viscosity mixtures. If a process has specialized requirements, the anhydride can easily be catalyzed to match them.
Properties as an epoxy curing agent
Meth/E itself doesn’t just have many excellent properties–it also imparts several properties when used as a curing agent for epoxy resins. It exhibits light color and electrical properties such as arc resistance, making it especially popular in electronics applications. Resins cured with Meth/E also exhibit good thermal stability, with high heat distortion and glass transition temperatures. The resins experience minimal shrinkage when cast, and the final coating offers excellent hardness and impact strength.
A specialty anhydride for high stress applications
Meth/E shines in applications that have especially challenging environments or requirements. It’s a popular curing agent for epoxies used in the fiber reinforced composites found in high performance aerospace and military applications, as well as in applications that are especially demanding such as filament wound bearings.
This specialty anhydride is also very useful in cured epoxies that will encapsulate electronic components and circuits. Its high temperature performance and excellent electrical properties have made it especially suitable for these applications, especially in critical systems that require high performance.
Looking for a supplier of Meth/E and other specialty anhydrides?
Broadview Technologies has been a leader in the material science industry since 1970. Check out all of our products on our website.
