Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.120, No.4, 2166-2172, 2011
Master Curve and Time-Temperature-Transformation Cure Diagram of a Polyfunctional Epoxy Acrylic Resin
The curing reaction of a well-defined glycidyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate statistical copolymer, prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization, and a commercial linear diamine (Jeffamine D-230) was studied with the objectives of constructing and discussing a time-temperature-transformation isothermal curing for this system. Thermal and rheological analyses were used to obtain the gelation and vitrification times. Differential scanning calorimetry data showed a one-to-one relationship between the glass-transition temperature (T(g)) and fractional conversion independent of the cure temperature. As a result, T(g) was used as a measurement of conversion. We obtained a kinetically controlled master curve for isothermal curing temperatures from 50 to 100 degrees C by shifting Tg versus the natural logarithm time data to a reference temperature of 80 degrees C. We calculated the apparent activation energy by applying two different methods, gel time measurements versus shift factors, suggesting a good agreement between them. Isoconversion contours were calculated by the numerical integration of the kinetic model. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 2166-2172, 2011