Abstract
Cure behavior of an epoxy resin was investigated at different cure temperatures (110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 $^{\circ}C$) and cure times in the presence of 2 wt% of an N-benzylpyrazinium hexafluoroantimonate (BPH) cationic catalyst by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The glass transition temperature ( $T_{g}$) and chemical conversion (x) at the different temperatures were determined from DSC thermograms. The $T_{g}$ and x vs. In time data were superposed up to $T_{g}$ = 10$0^{\circ}C$ and x = 0.70 by shifting horizontally at a reference temperature of $T_{g}$ = 13$0^{\circ}C$. It is interesting that the $T_{g}$ and x of the superposed data increase rather slowly in the early stage of cure and rapidly thereafter. Therefore, the increase of the $T_{g}$ and x can be divided into two regions; $R_{I}$= -18.4(= $T_{go}$ ) ~5$^{\circ}C$ and $R_{II}$ = 5 ~ 10$0^{\circ}C$ in $T_{g}$, and $R_{I}$ : 0~0.24 and $R_{II}$ : 0.24~0.70 in x. The $R_{I}$ is closely related to the initiation reactions between BPH and epoxy and between hydroxy group and epoxy in this epoxy/catalyst system. From the kinetic analysis of the $T_{g}$-shift, activation energy was 12.5 kcal/mol. The relationship between $T_{g}$ and x was also considered. The gelation and vitrification times for different cure temperatures were obtained from DMA curves.urves. DMA curves.urves.