ESTIMATION OF KINETIC-PARAMETERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CURING OF THERMOSET RESINS .1. THEORETICAL INVESTIGATION

This is a two-part theoretical and experimental study on the estimatio n of kinetic parameters associated with the curing of a thermoset epox y resin. In Part I, the estimation procedure is presented. This estima tion procedure is based on a method referred to as the Box-Kanemasu me thod, which involves the minimization of a least squares function, and it represents a new application of this method. The kinetic parameter s under consideration were the Arrhenius constants associated with two rate constants in a kinetic model used to describe the curing rate of an amine epoxy resin. The use of differential scanning calorimetry (D SC) and dielectric data assuming isothermal and dynamic experimental c onditions was first investigated in a sensitivity study. It was determ ined that the degree of cure should be treated as the dependent variab le and that data from isothermal experiments should be used. The estim ation procedure was then used to estimate the Arrhenius constants from simulated degree of cure data with added errors. These results compar ed favorably with those found using a linear regression method.