Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Epoxy Resin Toughened by a Hydroxyl-Terminated Hyperbranched Polymer

Epoxy resin (EP) has been extensively used in electrical insulation systems because of its favorable adhesion, chemical resistance, thermal stability, and dielectric reliability. Nevertheless, the dense three-dimensional network formed during curing generally gives EP a brittle nature, which restricts its use in insulating components that require both mechanical robustness and long-term reliability. In this work, a hydroxyl-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP-OH) was synthesized from itaconic acid (IA) and dipentaerythritol (DPE) through an Ax + By polycondensation route and then incorporated into an anhydride-cured epoxy system as a reactive toughening component. The influence of HBP-OH on the structure, mechanical behavior, dielectric response, and DC breakdown strength of the resulting HBP-OH/EP composites was systematically evaluated. The results demonstrate that HBP-OH effectively improves the mechanical performance of EP. At an HBP-OH loading of 9 wt%, the tensile strength increased from 15.00 MPa for pure EP to 33.27 MPa, while the elongation at break and flexural strength reached 6.5% and 88 MPa, respectively. Meanwhile, only a slight reduction in DC breakdown strength was observed at the optimal HBP-OH content. These results indicate that the proposed hyperbranched-polymer modification strategy can improve the toughness and strength of epoxy resin while retaining its dielectric and insulation performance, providing a feasible approach for developing epoxy insulating materials for high-voltage electrical equipment.