Effect of kinetic and thermal parameters on the process of cure of epoxy resin in a cylindrical mould

✍ Scribed by M. Chater; J.M. Vergnaud

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 506 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-3057
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-3057(87)90113-3

✦ Synopsis

Various parameters were found to be important in the cure of epoxy resin, those concerned with the kinetics of the heat evolved from the reaction (such as the order, rate constant and activation energy) and those related to the thermal properties of the resin, such as thermal diffusivity and heat capacity. An important parameter in this case was also studied, viz. the coefficient of the heat transfer through the heated fluid-mould interface, controlled by convection. After modelling successfully the process with a numerical method with finite differences, each of the parameters was tested in turn, by considering the temperature and state of cure-history at the middle of the resin cured in a cylindrical mould. Some parameters were found to be significant in the cure, such as the cure enthalpy and heat capacity, the activation energy and the coefficient of heat transferred by convection. This new knowledge allowed further insight into the process of cure for thermosets.