Curing rheokinetics of epoxy-amine composition

The article examines the curing of epoxy resin, based on diglycidyl ether Bisphenol-A, with the amine hardener Aramin (a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic amines). It was found that curing at 20, 40 and 60 °C is accompanied by microgelation. Coefficients of viscosity increase $k_{\eta }$ rise by 2, 3 and 4 times respectively. The possibility of using second order equation, Kamal catalytic equation, auto-acceleration and auto-inhibition equations and describing the curing process was considered. It was shown that no one of the equations describes the entire process with a high degree of accuracy. Equations, which could adequately describe distinct stages of the process, have been found. The conditions (time and degree of conversion) for the onset of microgelation, gelation and transition from a kinetic to a diffusion-controlled mechanism were established.