THE EFFECTS OF A SLUSHING OIL ON THE CURING AND DEGRADATION BEHAVIOR OF AN OIL-ACCOMMODATING EPOXY ADHESIVE

The effect of aliphatic slushing oil on the curing and degradation beh avior of an oil-accommodating epoxy adhesive is studied by using diffe rential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectro scopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results of FTI R and DSC indicate that the curing rate of the tested epoxy system is little affected in the presence of the oil. However, the decrease of t he curing exotherm accompanied with a broadening of the glass transiti on confirms that the oil can affect the curing mechanisms and may chan ge the structure of the cured resin. Additionally, it is evident from the TGA results that the thermal resistance of the resin deteriorates in the presence of the oil, which is attributed to the changes in the structure and the degradation mechanism of the epoxy system.