• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.91-102
• /
• 2009

This paper describes an extension of viscoelastic Group Interaction Modelling (GIM) to predict the relaxation response of linear, branched and cross-linked structures. This model is incorporated into a Monte Carlo percolation grid simulation used to generate the topological structure during the isothermal cure of a gel, so enabling the chemorheological response to be predicted at any point during the cure. The model results are compared to experimental data for an epoxy-amine systems and good agreement is observed. The viscoelastic model predicts the same exponent power-law behaviour of the loss and storage moduli as a function of frequency and predicts the cross-over in the loss tangent at the percolation condition for gelation. The model also predicts the peak in the loss tangent which occurs when the glass transition temperature surpasses the isothermal cure temperature and the system vitrifies.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.171-179
• /
• 2014

Low temperature cure prepregs are being developed for use in the preparation of large-structured fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites with good performance. Cure behavior and chemorheology of low temperature cure epoxy resin system, based on epoxy resin, curing agent, and accelerators, were investigated to provide a matrix resin suitable for the prepreg preparation. Characteristics of cure reaction were studied in both dynamic and isothermal conditions by means of differential scanning calorimetry and rheometry. The low temperature cure epoxy resin system suggested in this study as a matrix resin was curable at $80^{\circ}C$ for 3 h, and showed the gel times of 120 and 20 min at 80 and $90^{\circ}C$, respectively. Thermal and mechanical properties of the cured sample were almost the same as high temperature cure counterparts.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.133-140
• /
• 2013

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites consist of carbon fibers in a polymer matrix. Recently, CFRP composites having high thermal stability and low outgassing are finding their use in high performance materials for aerospace and electronics applications under high temperature and high vacuum conditions. Cyanate ester resin is one of the most suitable matrix resins for this purpose. In this study, proper combination of cyanate ester and catalyst, curing behavior, and cure cycle were determined by chemorheology. Optimum condition was found to be catalyst content of 100 ppm and curing temperature of $150^{\circ}C$. Thermal stability and outgassing of cured resin composition were analyzed and the results showed thermal decomposition temperature of $385^{\circ}C$ and total mass loss of 0.29%. The CFRP prepregs and subsequent composites were fabricated by predetermined resin composition and the cure condition. Tensile moduli of the composites were compared with theoretical models and the results were very consistent.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.88-97
• /
• 2002

The effect of aminosiloxane modifier on the chemorheological properties of ortho-cresol novolac epoxy/phenol novelac/triphnylphosphine resin system was investigated aat different isothermal curing temperatures. By adding the aminosiloxane to the resin system, not only conversion rate and conversion were increased but also glass transition temperature was promoted. Critical conversion and gelation time obtained at the crossover point between storage and loss moduli were reduced and thus the viscosity was increased by the aminosiloxane. $C_1$ and $C_2$ in the WLF equation calculated from the glass transition temperature as a function of conversion and measured viscosity were found to vary with the curing temperature. By applying the change of glass transition temperature with conversion, $C_1$ and $C_2$ to WLF equation, it was possible to predict accurately the viscosity change with isothermal curing reaction.