Curing of Epoxy Adhesives by DSC
Introduction
For two-component epoxy adhesives, the exothermic energy generated by curing was compared for each sample immediately after mixing, and after 3 hours, 6 hours, and 24 hours had passed.
Measurement and analysis examples
Figure 1 compares the DSC results of samples that have been cured for various times since the start of curing at 25°C. The exothermic peak associated with curing is clearly observed between 50°C and 150°C.
Figure 1: Comparison of DSC results for epoxy adhesives
The table below shows the results of estimating the curing percentage from the DSC exothermic energy calculated for each elapsed time, assuming that the exothermic energy at the start of curing is cured 0%.
| Curing time (hours) | Exothermic energy (J/g) |
Curing percentage ( %) |
| 0 | 165.8 | ------ |
| 3 | 116.7 | 29.6 |
| 6 | 84.7 | 48.9 |
| 24 | 50.5 | 69.5 |
From these measurements, the time required for curing can be estimated.
Recommended instrument and software
► Thermo plus EVO3 DSCvesta2
► Vullios measurement and analysis software
Related products
DSCvesta2
DSC with industry-first self-diagnostic feature and industry's highest temperature range
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