Stress relaxation behavior of 3501-6 epoxy resin during cure

Yeong K. Kim, Scott R. White

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Epoxy resins and other thermosetting polymers change from liquids to solids during cure. A precise process model of these materials requires a constitutive model that is able to describe this transformation in its entirety. In this study the viscoelastic properties of a commercial epoxy resin were characterized using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). Specimens were tested at several different cure states to develop master curves of stress relaxation behavior during cure. Using this experimental data, the relaxation modulus was then modeled in a thermorheologically complex manner. A Prony (exponential) series was used to describe the relaxation modulus. An original model was developed for the stress relaxation times based on similar work by Scherer (16) on the relaxation of glass. Shift functions used to obtain reduced times are empirically derived based on curve fits to the data. The data show that the cure state has a profound effect on the stress relaxation of epoxy. More important, the relaxation behavior above gelation is shown to be quite sensitive to degree of cure.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2852-2862
Number of pages11
JournalPolymer Engineering and Science
Volume36
Issue number23
DOIs
StatePublished - 1996

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Materials Chemistry

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