PROCESSING-MORPHOLOGY-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS IN EPOXY-RESINS CONTAINING AN ORGANOMETALLIC COBALT COMPLEX

An investigation was carried out into the effect of an organometallic complex, cobalt (III) acetylacetonate, on curing, morphology, and mechanical properties of several epoxy resins. Differential scanning calorimetry, electron microscopy, and a series of mechanical measurements were performed on bifunctional and terafunctional formulations. The addition of cobalt (III) acetylacetonate did not cause drastic changes in any of the systems investigated, although a slight effect on cure kinetics, Young's modulus, and fracture‐surface morphology was noted. Also, there was no effect on the impact strength or the critical stress intensity factor of any of our formulations. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.