Monitoring of curing process and shelf life of the epoxy-anhydride system with TICT compounds by the fluorescence technique

In this study the curing degree and the shelf life of an epoxy resin were m onitored by a fluorescence method, Four extrinsic fluorescence probes, so-c alled TICT compounds, were used. An intensity ratio method was applied, in which ratios of the lowest and highest intensity changes in the emission ba nds are used to determine the degree of the isothermal curing. A smooth and in some cases a linear correlation was found between the fluorescence inte nsity ratio and the degree of the cure. The fluorescence technique and the ratio method enable the monitoring of the precuring and shelf life of the s tudied epoxy polymer.