Viscoelastic response and cure kinetic of a bisphenol - A-derived epoxy

By using rheological and thermal analysis techniques, structural properties and cure kinetics of epoxy resin, prepared with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) and triethylenetetramine (TETA), were investigated for four different ratios of hardener (TETA) and epoxy (DGEBA) (5%, 13%, 15% and 20%). Complex viscosity, eta', elastic modulus, G, and loss modulus, G", were measured through curing using a rheometer at room temperature. From isothermal and dynamic runs, the cure kinetics at five temperatures was analyzed by a DSC. A simple autocatalytic model was then used to fit the kinetic data. By using non conventional optimization technique, one set of parameters is obtained to correlate all five temperatures simultaneously, presenting excellent good performance.