Effect of thermoplastic toughening agent on glass transition temperature and cure kinetics of an epoxy prepreg

The isothermal time–temperature-transformation (TTT) cure diagram is developed in this article to investigate the effect of thermoplastic toughening agent on glass transition temperature (T _g) and cure kinetics of an epoxy carbon fiber prepreg, Cycom 977-2 unidirectional (UD) tape. The glass transition temperature was measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) over a wide range of isothermal cure temperatures from 140 to 200 °C. Times to gelation and vitrification were measured using shear rheometry. The glass transition temperature master curve was obtained from the experimental data and the corresponding shift factors were used to calculate the activation energy. The kinetic rate model was utilized to construct iso-T _g contours using the calculated activation energy. It was observed that the iso-T _g contours did not follow the behavior of the neat epoxy resin, since they deviated from the gel time curve. This deviation was believed to be the effect of the thermoplastic toughening agent. The behavior of the neat epoxy resin in 977-2 was shown by constructing the iso-T _g contours using the activation energy obtained from gel time modeling.     

Effects of water on epoxy cure kinetics and glass transition temperature utilizing molecular dynamics simulations

Effects of water on epoxy cure kinetics are investigated. Experimental tests show that absorbed water in an uncured bisphenol‐F/diethyl‐toluene‐diamine epoxy system causes an increase in cure rate at low degrees of cure and a decrease in cure rate at high degrees of cure. Molecular simulations of the same epoxy system indicate that the initial increase in cure rate is due to an increase in molecular self‐diffusion of the epoxy molecules in the presence of water. Effects of water on the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the crosslinked thermoset are also studied. Both experiments and simulations show that water decreases T_g. Both types of results indicate that T_g effects are small below 1% water by weight, but that T_g depression occurs much quickly with increasing water content above 1%. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 1150–1159     

The physical properties of bisphenol-a-based epoxy resins during and after curing. II. Creep behavior above and below the glass transition temperature

The creep behavior of a series of fully cured epoxy resins with different crosslink densities was determined from the glassy compliance level to the equilibrium compliance J_e at temperatures above T_g and at the glassy level below T_g during spontaneous densification at four aging temperatures, 4,4-diamino diphenyl sulfone DDS was used to crosslink the epoxy resins. The shear creep compliance curves J(t) obtained with materials at equilibrium densities near and above T_g were compared at their respective T_gs. T_gs from 101 to 205°C were observed for the epoxies which were based on the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A. Creep rates were found to be the same at short times, and equilibrium compliances J_e were close to the predictions of the kinetic theory of rubberlike elasticity. Time scale shift factors determined during physical aging were reduced to T_g. At compliances below 2 × 10^?10 cm²/dyn, Andrade creep, where J(t) is a linear function of the cube root of creep time, was observed. The time to reach an equilibrium volume at T_g was found to be longer for the epoxy resin with lower crosslink densities. The increase of density during curing is illustrated for the epoxy resin with the highest crosslink density.     

TTT Cure Diagram

Curing reactions of the epoxy system consisting of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (BADGE n=0) and m-xylylenediamine (m-XDA) were studied to calculate time-temperature-transformation (TTT) isothermal cure diagram for this system. Gel times were measured as a function of temperature using solubility test. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to calculate the vitrification times. DSC data show a one-to-one relationship between T _g and fractional conversion, a independent of cure temperature. As a consequence, T _g can be used as a measure of conversion. The activation energy for the polymerization overall reaction was calculated from the gel times obtained using the solubility test (41.5 kJ mol^-1). This value is similar to the results obtained for other similar epoxy systems. Isoconversion contours were calculated by numerical integration of the best fitting kinetic model. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Curing reaction of biphenyl epoxy resin with different phenolic functional hardeners

The investigation of cure kinetics and relationships between glass transition temperature and conversion of biphenyl epoxy resin (4,4′-diglycidyloxy-3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl biphenyl) with different phenolic hardeners was performed by differential scanning calorimeter using an isothermal approach over the temperature range 120–150°C. All kinetic parameters of the curing reaction including the reaction order, activation energy, and rate constant were calculated and reported. The results indicate that the curing reaction of formulations using xylok and dicyclopentadiene type phenolic resins (DCPDP) as hardeners proceeds through a first-order kinetic mechanism, whereas the curing reaction of formulations using phenol novolac as a hardener goes through an autocatalytic kinetic mechanism. The differences of curing reaction with the change of hardener in biphenyl epoxy resin systems were explained with the relationships between T_g and reaction conversion using the DiBenedetto equation. A detailed cure mechanism in biphenyl-type epoxy resin with the different hardeners has been suggested. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 773–783, 1998     

Cure Kinetics Study of Two Epoxy Systems with Fourier Tranform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

This work was aimed at the study of cure kinetics of two commercial thermosetting epoxy systems, Epikote resin 816 LV/Epikure F205 and Epikote resin 240/Epikure F205, by Fourier Tranform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The studied systems consist of a resin (A), based on a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and a hardener (B) based on the Isophorodiamine (IPDA) a cycloaliphatic diamine. These systems are used for the building and civil engineering industries, e.g. flooring compounds, adhesives, mortars and grouts. FTIR spectroscopy was employed to investigate the isothermal curing kinetics at 30, 50 or 70°C and DSC analysis to study the non-isothermal curing kinetics at different heating rates 2.5, 5, 10 and 20°C/min, from 20 to 300°C. A kinetic model was employed to simulate the FTIR isothermal experimental data using two kinetic rate constants and incorporating also diffusion control at high degrees of conversion. Finally, the variation of the effective activation energy with the extent of curing was estimated using isoconversional analysis of non-isothermal DSC data.     

Acceleration of the cationic polymerization of an epoxy with hexanediol

Thin films of 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3',4'-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate were UV irradiated (1.1 J cm^-2) under isothermal conditions ranging from 0 to 50°C. Under these conditions the polymerization advanced quickly but only to a conversion level of less than 10% before the reaction rate slowed by more than an order of magnitude. This drop off in rate was not caused by the glass transition temperature, T _g, reaching or exceeding the reaction temperature, T _rxn, since the epoxide's T _g remained at least 40°C below T _rxn. Raising the sample temperature above 60°C caused a sharp increase in the conversion level. At 100°C conversion exceeds 80% and the ultimate T _g approaches 190°C. The addition of 10 mass% 1,6-hexanediol, HD, to the epoxy caused the conversion at room temperature to quintuple over the level obtained without the alcohol present. The heat liberated from this alcohol epoxy blend during cure on a UV conveyor belt system caused the sample's temperature to increase by about 100°C above ambient whereas the epoxy alone under these conditions only experienced a modest temperature rise of about 26°C. If the amount of HD in the blend is increased above 10% the heat of reaction at 23°C decreases due to HD being trapped in a nonreactive crystalline phase. Boosting reaction temperatures above 50°C melts the HD crystals and yields significantly improved conversion ratios. As the level of alcohol blended with the epoxy is raised its ultimate T _g is lowered and when the concentration of alcohol in the blend nears 30 mass%T _g drops below room temperature. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of curing on the glass transition temperature and moisture absorption of a neat epoxy resin

Apparent glass transition temperature (T_g) measurements were made on smaples of a neat epoxy resin that had been cured at four different temperature and for four different times at each temperature. The apparent T_g data increase with cure time toward an asymptote that was dependent on cure temperature. The asymptotic dependence of T_g on cure temperature may be explained by the effect of cure temperature on the reaction rates and available reaction sites. The asymptotic increase with cure time may be understood in terms of the resin's extent of cure. Moisture-conditioning studies were also made and the amount of moisture absorbed was correlated with the extent of cure. The absorbed moisture's interaction with the resin's molecular structure was deduced to by primarily at hydroxyl sites.     

Chemico-diffusion kinetics and TTT cure diagrams of DGEBA-DGEBF/amine resins cured with phenol catalysts

Curing of epoxy-amine resins with bisphenol A (BPA) as an external catalyst was studied from differential scanning calorimetry analyses in isothermal and dynamic modes. Both phenomenological and mechanistic models have been tested. The mechanistic model where epoxy cure is postulated to only occur through hydroxyl-catalyzed reactions, and assuming a different reactivity of both types of hydroxyl groups (from BPA and epoxy chains) provided a reasonable fitting of the whole set of experimental data. In particular, the latter model provides good predictive behavior for changes in the mixture composition (BPA content varying in the range from 3 to 10 wt.%, relative to the weight of hardener), contrary to the model based on the same reactivity of both types of hydroxyl groups.The isothermal time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram including the time to vitrification and iso-T_g curves of the complex epoxy system was also established.     

Epoxy resins (DGEBA): The curing and physical aging process

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were used to monitor the degree of cure of partially cured epoxy resin (Epon 828/MDA) samples. The extent of cure, as determined by residual heat of reaction, concurred with that determined by monitoring the infrared radiation absorbance of the epoxide group near 916 cm^?l. The fictive temperature T_{f, g} was found to increase with the degree of cure, increasing rapidly during cure until reaching a value near the cure temperature T_c of 130°C (approximately 80% cure) where the material vitrified. The greatly reduced reaction rate during the final 20% of cure was not only a consequence of vitrification but, as revealed by infrared spectroscopy, the result of the depletion in the number of reactive epoxide groups. The endothermic peak areas and peak temperatures evident during the DSC scans were used as a measure of the extent of “physical aging” which took place during the cure of this resin, and after, fully cured samples were aged 37°C below their ultimate glass temperature for various periods of time. The rate of physical aging slowed as the temperature increment (T_t,g ? T_c) increased. Although an endothermic peak was evident after only 1 h of cure (T_{f, g} = 138.3°C), such a peak did not appear until fully cured samples were aged for 16 h or more. Enthalpy data revealed that for partially cured material, the fictive temperature T_{f, a}, reflecting physical aging, increased with curing time. In contrast, the T_{f, a}, for fully cured samples decreased with sub-T_g aging time. The characteristic jump in the heat capacity ΔC_p which occurred at the T_{f, g} decreased as curing progressed. This decrease appears to be dependent upon the rotational and vibrational degrees of freedom of the glass. Finally, a graphical method of determining the fictive temperature T_{f, a}, of partially and fully cured epoxy material from measured endothermic peak areas was developed.     

Thermo-mechanical characterisation of in-plane properties for CSM E-glass epoxy polymer composite materials – Part 1: Thermal and chemical strain

The in-plane thermo-mechanical properties and residual stresses of a CSM E-glass/Epoxy material are characterised through the use of DSC and TMA. The measured data is used to generate material models which describe the mechanical behaviour as a function of conversion and temperature. The in-plane thermal expansion coefficient (α) of the composite material decreases above the glass transition temperature (T_g), which is compensated by a higher out of plane deformation above T_g. Comparison of α and chemical shrinkage measurements suggests that chemical bonds between the polymer matrix and the glass fibres are formed prior to shrinkage of the epoxy matrix, i.e., at an early processing stage. This suggests that production of composites with low residual stresses requires focus on reactivity between the matrix and the sizing rather than the matrix cure properties. As a consequence, residual stresses in the composite material are mainly a result of restricted cure shrinkage rather than mismatch between thermal expansion coefficients.     

UV-curable epoxy systems containing hyperbranched polymers: Kinetics investigation by photo-DSC and real-time FT-IR experiments

The effect of the presence of a hyperbranched OH-functionalized polymer (HBP) on the kinetics of cationic photopolymerization of an epoxy system was investigated employing two complementary techniques, photo-DSC and real-time FT-IR spectroscopy.Lower rates of cross-linking reactions and higher conversion degrees were obtained in photo-DSC experiments with respect to real-time FT-IR spectroscopy. A limited amount (10% wt) of HBP influenced to a certain extent the cure kinetics of the epoxy resin followed by RT-IR; a final conversion of epoxy groups equal to 100% was achieved by increasing the content up to 20% wt The addition of 10% wt of HBP leaves the cure kinetics of the CE resin studied by p-DSC almost unchanged. By increasing the HBP content, a slightly lower reaction rate is observed at lower reaction times. The presence of the HBP produced a continuous decrease of the T_g of the UV-cured epoxy resin but only modest reductions in its thermo-oxidative stability.     

Evaluating a four-directional benzene-centered aliphatic polyamine curing agent for epoxy resins

A four-directional benzene-centered aliphatic polyamine, MXBDP, with high functionality and low volatility, is used to cure epoxy resin (DGEBA). Herein we originally report the isothermal cure kinetics and dynamic mechanical properties of DGEBA/MXBDP. Differential scanning calorimetry confirms that MXDBP is more reactive than commercial linear metaxylenediamine and branched Jeffamine T-403 and the isothermal curing reaction is autocatalytic. The Kamal model is found to be able to well describe the curing rate up to the onset of diffusion control, and the excellent match over the whole conversion range is achieved using the extended Kamal model. Interestingly, the isoconversional kinetic analysis indicates that the effective reaction activation energy (E _α ) changes substantially with conversion, and ultimately decreases to a very small value (<10 kJ mol^?1) because of the diffusion-controlled reaction kinetics. Then, dynamic mechanical analysis reveals that DGEBA/MXBDP exhibits the higher α- and β-relaxation temperatures and the much higher crosslink density than DGEBA/metaxylenediamine. Our experiment results support that MXBDP has the high reactivity and improved thermal resistance in combination with the advantages of the high functionality, low volatility and decreased CO₂ absorption. Therefore, MXBDP may be especially suitable for room temperature-cure epoxy coatings and adhesives.     

Isothermal cure characterization of dicyclopentadiene

Conversion (α) and the glass transition temperature (T _g) were investigated during the isothermal cure of endo-dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) with a Grubbs catalyst for different temperatures using differential scanning calorimetry. Conversion vs. In (time) data at an arbitrary reference temperature were superposed by horizontal shift and the shift factors were used to calculate an Arrhenius activation energy. Glass transition temperature vs. conversion data fell on a single curve independent of cure temperature, implying that reaction of the norbornene and cyclopentene ring of DCPD proceeds in a sequential fashion. Implications of the isothermal reaction kinetics for self-healing composites are discussed.     

Effect of Non-Woven Carbon Nanofiber Mat Presence on Cure Kinetics of Epoxy Nanocomposites

Summary : An investigation was carried out into the cure kinetics of carbon nanofiber (CNF) mat-epoxy nanocomposites, composed of bisphenol-A based epoxy resin and diethylene triamine as a curing agent. It was observed that the rate of cure reaction for CNF mat-epoxy nanocomposites was higher than that for neat epoxy resin at low curing temperatures and the presence of the CNF mat produced the maximum influence at a certain curing temperature and time. At high curing temperature and long curing times, the effect of CNF mat on the cure rate was insignificant. The CNF mat-epoxy composite exhibited somewhat lower value of activation energy than that of the neat epoxy system at the beginning of the curing stage. The weight fraction of CNF mat also affected the cure reaction of epoxy nanocomposites at the same curing temperature. As the amount of CNF mat increased, the cure rate was higher at the same cure time. However, at high CNF mat loading, the cure reaction was retarded since the amount of epoxy and hardener decreased dramatically at high CNF contents together with the hindering effect of the CNF mat on the diffusion of epoxy resin and the curing agent, leading to lower crosslinking efficiency. Although the curing efficiency of epoxy nanocomposites dropped at high CNF mat content, the glass transition temperature (T_g) was still high due to the ultra-high strength of the CNF mat. The cure kinetics of CNF mat-epoxy nanocomposites was in good agreement with Kamal's model.     

Synergistic effect of hybrid graphene and boron nitride on the cure kinetics and thermal conductivity of epoxy adhesives

In the present study, the synergistic effect of hybrid boron nitride (BN) with graphene on the thermal conductivity of epoxy adhesives has been reported. Graphene was prepared by chemical reduction of graphite oxide (GO) in a mixture of concentrated H₂SO₄/H₃PO₄ acid. The particle size distribution of GO was found to be ~10 μm and a low contact angle of 54° with water indicated a hydrophilic surface. The structure of prepared graphene was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The thermal conductivity of adhesives was measured using guarded hot plate technique. Test results indicated an improvement in the thermal conductivity up to 1.65 W/mK, which was about ninefold increase over pristine epoxy. Mechanical properties of different epoxy formulations were also measured employing lap shear test. The surface characterization of different epoxy adhesive systems was characterized through XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Fourier transform infrared also served to determine the nature of interactions between filler particles and epoxy resin. Non‐isothermal differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) technique was used to investigate the effects of graphene and BN particles on the cure kinetics and cross‐linking reaction of epoxy cured with amine curing agent. The Kissinger equation, the model‐free isoconversional Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method and the Ozawa model were used to analyze the kinetic parameter. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elastic Moduli and Activation Energies for an Epoxy/m-XDA System by DMA and DSC

The influence of the resin/diamine ratio on the properties of the system diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (BADGE n=0/m-xylylenediamine) (m-XDA) was studied. Variation of this ratio resulted in significant effects on the cure kinetics and final dynamic mechanical properties of the product material. The study was made in terms of storage modulus (E′), vss modulus (E″) and molecular mass between cross-links (M_c) at different ratios. Two geometries (cylindrical and rectangular) were considered. The influence of temperature was studied through the activation energy (E_a>), which depends on the epoxy/amine ratio and the geometry of the samples. Glass transition temperatures (T_g>) and glass transition temperatures for thermosets with null degree of conversion (T_go>) were determined by DSC. T_g> decreases when amounts of curing agent greatly in excess of the stoichiometric composition were used. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cure kinetics of thermosetting bisphenol E cyanate ester

Resin injection repair is a common method to repair delamination damage in polymer matrix composites (PMCs). To repair high-temperature PMCs, the resin should have a very low viscosity, yet cure into a compatible adhesive with high temperature stability. Normally, thermosetting polymers with high glass transition temperatures (T _g) are made from monomers with high room temperature viscosities. Among the high temperature resins, bisphenol E cyanate ester (BECy, 1,1’-bis(4-cyanatophenyl)ethane), is unique because it has an extremely low viscosity of 0.09–0.12 Pa s at room temperature yet polymerizes as a cross-linked thermoset with a high T _g of 274°C. BECy monomer is cured via a trimerization reaction, without volatile products, to form the high T _g amorphous network. In this study, the cure kinetics of BECy is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Both dynamic and isothermal experiments were carried out to obtain the kinetic parameters. An autocatalytic model was successfully used to model isothermal curing. The activation energy from the autocatalytic model is 60.3 kJ mol⁻¹ and the total reaction order is about 2.4. The empirical DiBenedetto equation was used to evaluate the relationship between T _g and conversion. The activation energy of BECy from the dynamic experiments is 66.7 kJ mol⁻¹ based on Kissinger’s method, while isoconversional analysis shows the activation energy changes as the reaction progresses.     

Viscoelastic properties and morphology of dicyanate ester/epoxy co-polymers modified with polysiloxane and butadiene–acrylonitrile rubbers

Dynamic mechanical analysis was conducted on specimens prepared from cyanate ester (CE) and epoxy (EP) resins cured together at various mass compositions. Increase of amount of epoxy resin in composition was shown to have a disadvantageous effect on glass transition temperature (T _g). It was shown that post-curing procedure was needed to produce a polymer matrix with a single glass transition relaxation, but increase in post-cure temperature up to 250 °C resulted in slight reduction in T _g for epoxy/cyanate copolymers. TG results proved that the presence of epoxy resin reduces thermal stability of the cyanate/epoxy materials. The neat CE and EP/CE systems containing 30 wt% of epoxy resin were modified using epoxy-terminated butadiene–acrylonitrile rubber (ETBN) and polysiloxane core–shell elastomer (PS). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed the existence of second phase of ETBN and PS modifiers. Only in the case of EP/CE composition modified with ETBN, well-dispersed second phase domains were observed. Analysis of SEM images for other CE- and EP/CE-modified systems revealed the formation of spherical aggregates.     

Monitoring the Cross-Linking of Epoxide Resins by Thermoanalytical Techniques

The curing reaction of bisphenol A diglycidylether with 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) was studied by thermoanalytical methods. The overall reaction was monitored through the exothermic heat of reaction by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and a method is developed for predicting isothermal conversion-time curves over a wide temperature range from the results of two dynamic DSC scans. The reaction mechanism is not specified but it is assumed not to change with conversion, and the rate is assumed to be controlled by a single rate constant of the Arrhenius form. A series of fully cured resins prepared with varying DDM concentration is characterized by penetrometer, thermal expansion, and DSC methods. The T_g's of these resins are compared with those obtained using the stoichiometric quantity of DDM and reacted to different calorimetric degrees of cure. The T_g of the resin increases by about 70[ddot];C in the final 10% of the curing reaction where ΔH measurements are least sensitive, so that the final stages of cure are best monitored by T_g measurements.