A STUDY OF WATER-ABSORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF DGEBA DDS RESIN SYSTEMUSING NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

Water absorption and desorption of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)/4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) resin systems, cured isoth ermally at three different temperatures (160, 180 and 220-degrees-C), were monitored at 80-degrees-C, as a function of soaking and drying ti mes. New near infra-red spectroscpoic (NIR) technique as well as the c onventional gravimetric method were used. The data from two different techniques were reasonably identical showing that the new NIR techniqu e is valid. The resin systems cured at higher temperature absorbed mor e water. The degree of structural packing of the network systems has b een estimated from the observations in water absorption characteristic s.