Rheological behaviors and processing windows of low viscosity epoxy resin for VIMP

The chemorheological behaviors of a low viscosity epoxy resin system (Huntsman 1564/3486) for vacuum infusion moulding process (VIMP) were studied with viscosity experiments. The dual-Arrhenius rheological model and the engineering viscosity model were established and compared with the experimental data. The result showed that the viscosity in the earlier stage calculated by dual-Arrhenius model were smaller than the experimental data, while the data calculated by the engineering model were larger. Combining the two models together can predict the rheological behaviors of the resin system in a more credible manner. The processing windows of the resin system for VIMP were determined based on the two models. The optimum processing temperature is 30–45 °C.