To estimate the curing time of epoxy oligomer during nonisothermal polymerization process

Abstract

The results of an experimental study and numerical modeling of the curing process of an epoxy binder under conditions of non-isothermal polymerization are presented. Object of research: two-component composition of "cold curing": epoxy resin L and hardener EPH 161, certified as a binder for aerospace composite materials. The measurements were performed on a Physica MCR 501 rotary rheometer in the oscillation mode under conditions of a programmable temperature change. The Cauchy problem for an ordinary differential equation describing the behavior of an oligomer during the curing process was used as the main model. The values of the material parameters necessary for performing the calculation operations were obtained by the rheological method, analyzing the dependence of the binder viscosity on the polymerization time and the rate of temperature change. Estimates of the model parameters obtained as a result of processing full-scale experiments are given. The effective values of the kinetic parameters are determined, at which the calculated yield loss time is in good agreement with the experimental one.