PHOTOCHEMICAL DEGRADATION STUDY OF AN EPOXY MATERIAL BY IR-ATR SPECTROSCOPY

Photochemical degradation of an epoxy resin (DGEBA) cross-linked with methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MTHPA) was studied by means of FT- IR spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (ATR). Using an ident ified absorption band as a reference, we obtained spectra that allowed us to detect the organic matrix chemical modifications during photo-a ging of the irradiated surface. Besides the fact that the thickness of the photo-oxidized layer can be estimated, molecular changes confirm some mechanisms which have been proposed in other literature. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.