A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THE MECHANICAL-BEHAVIOR OF AN EPOXY-RESIN CURED BY MICROWAVES WITH ONE CURED THERMALLY

A comparison of mechanical behaviour was made between an epoxy resin c ured by microwaves and one cured thermally. By tensile tests, it was f ound that the microwave cured resin has a little higher tensile streng th and Young's modulus. This difference was considered to be attribute d to the greater homogeneity of the microwave cured resin. After agein g in water, the microwave cured resin maintained its advantage of mech anical properties over the thermally cured one. The tensile strength a nd Young's modulus of both resins increased with the strain rate. The fracture surfaces show some significant mechanisms of rupture and of a n ageing effect.