IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY OF REACTIVE POLYMERS - CORRELATIONS WITH CHEMORHEOLOGY DURING NETWORK FORMATION

An investigation was carried out of correlations between dielectric, spectroscopic, and theological properties during reactions in several epoxy/amine formulations of both polymer-forming and nonpolymer-forming nature. Dielectric results obtained from impedance spectroscopy were compared with results from near-infrared spectroscopy, high performance Liquid chromatography, and steady shear and dynamic mechanical measurements. Reaction kinetics obtained from dielectric, spectroscopic, and chromatographic results were in excellent agreement. Gelation and vitrification times of multifunctional formulations, determined by dielectric and theological measurements, agreed surprisingly well, despite the empirical nature of such correlations. Nonetheless, a realization of the full potential of dielectric impedance spectroscopy in monitoring the progress of chemophysical changes in reactive polymers necessitates the development of fundamental scientific correlations between dielectric and chemorheological phenomena during cure.