Combinatorial Approach to Characterizing Epoxy Curing

Published

January 1, 2004

Author(s)

Naomi Eidelman, D T. Raghavan, Aaron M. Forster, Eric J. Amis, Alamgir Karim

Abstract

Three complementary techniques were used to follow the curing of a diglycidyl ether bisphenol A epoxy resin (DGEBA): FT-IR microspectroscopy, confocal microscopy, and axisymmetric adhesion testing. Each technique probes different characteristics of the curing process. Put together, the techniques provide a complete picture of both chemical and physical changes during curing. Initially discrete samples, cured at different temperatures, were used to calibrate each technique with respect to specific curing protocols. Next, all three techniques were used to investigate curing across a continuous gradient combinatorial library. FTIR was more sensitive to curing changes compared to either adhesion or fluorescence measurements, however all three techniques were capable of measuring changes in the epoxy during curing. The FTIR followed the decrease in the absorption of the epoxy ring; the confocal microscopy indicated higher fluorescence; and the adhesion tests showed that the work of debonding decreased at higher curing temperatures.

Citation

Macromolecular Rapid Communications

Volume

25

Issue

No. 1

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

adhesion, confocal microscopy, curing, epoxy, FTIR microspectroscopy

Citation

Eidelman, N. , Raghavan, D. , Forster, A. , Amis, E. and Karim, A. (2004), Combinatorial Approach to Characterizing Epoxy Curing, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=852256 (Accessed October 8, 2025)