MECHANISTIC REACTION-KINETICS OF 4,4'-DIAMINODIPHENYL SULFONE CURED TETRAGLYCIDYL-4,4'-DIAMINODIPHENYLMETHANE EPOXY-RESINS

A mechanistic kinetic model of 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone cured tetraglycidyl-4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane epoxides is developed, which accurately describes experimental data published in the literature. The model is based on an accepted reaction mechanism, which consists of three main reactions. Other efforts to quantitatively model epoxy cure generally focus on empirical rate laws, which apply only to the conditions to which they are fit. It is demonstrated that a mechanistic approach results in a model that can predict the effects of moderate variations in the resin formulation, without being cumbersome or impractical. Moreover, the mechanistic model, unlike the empirical ones, is capable of estimating the relative amounts of linkages formed during the cure reactions. These data offer some insight into the cured resin morphology, which determines the mechanical properties of the material. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.