ESTIMATION OF KINETIC-PARAMETERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CURING OF THERMOSET RESINS .2. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

This is a two-part theoretical and experimental study on the estimatio n of the kinetic parameters associated with the curing of a thermoset epoxy resin. In Part II, the kinetic parameters associated with the cu ring of the bisphenol-A-diglycidylether/meta-phenylenediamine (BADGE/m PDA) resin were estimated from both differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dielectric experimental data using a new estimation procedur e described in Part I. The kinetic parameters estimated were the Arrhe nius constants associated with a kinetic model used to describe the de gree of cure. Isothermal experiments were performed using both experim ental techniques at four different curing temperatures. The resulting estimates of the kinetic parameters were compared with results obtaine d from the same data using a linear regression method. The magnitude o f the confidence intervals of the estimated parameters and the standar d deviation of the model (based on the residual errors between predict ed values of the degree of cure and experimental values) were used as criteria in the comparison of the results. From this comparison, it wa s concluded that the parameters estimated from DSC data using the new estimation procedure provided the estimates with the least variability and, consequently, the smallest errors associated with the kinetic mo del.