Cure Kinetics of Amine Cured Tetrafunctional Epoxy Blends with Poly(Styrene-Co-Acrylonitrile)

Abstract

Cure kinetics using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique were analyzed for a thermoplastic modified tetraglycidyl-4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane (TGDDM) epoxy resin cured with diaminodiphenylsulphone (DDS), an aromatic diamine. The neat resin and its blends with the poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN) of various compositions were studied by applying a phenomenological model proposed by Kamal. Kinetic parameters were determined by fitting experimental data. This model gives a good description of cure kinetics up to the onset of vitrification. Diffusion control was incorporated to describe the cure in the latter stages of cure. The results showed that the addition of SAN did not alter the nature of the reaction, but the reaction rates and final conversions decreased when SAN contents increase, due to reduction of mobility of the reacting species.