Simultaneous kinetic and microdielectric studies of some epoxy-amine systems

Abstract

Three reactive epoxy–amine systems based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS), 4,4′-methylenebis [3-chloro 2,6-diethylaniline] (MCDEA), and 4,4′-methylenebis [2,6-diethylaniline] (MDEA), were studied during isothermal curings at 140 and 160°C. The simultaneous kinetic and dielectric studies allow to express conductivity, σ, in terms of conversion, x, and of glass transition temperature, Tg. The conductivity, σ0, of the initial monomer mixture and, σ∞ of the fully cured network are measured. It is found that: The glass transition temperature, Tg, versus conversion, x, curves follows the equation of Di Benedetto modified by Pascault and Williams There exists a linear relation between log σ/log σ0 and Tg. So, it is possible to predict both kinetic and dielectric behaviors of these epoxy-amine systems by the knowledge of Tg0, ΔCp0, and σ0, respectively, glass transition temperature, heat capacity, and conductivity of initial monomer mixture, Tg∞ and ΔCp∞, and σ∞, respectively, glass transition temperature and heat capacity and conductivity of fully cured network. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 2911–2921, 1998