Gel Phenomena of Epoxy Cured with Metaphenylene Diamine
Wang Desheng，Chen Wei，Liu Bin，Chen Shoutian
(Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China)

Abstract:  Gel and cure reaction of epoxy resin is a complex chemical process. The gel time of epoxy resin is one of key factors that affects the properties of cured epoxy resin. By combining Flory gel theory with cure reaction kinetics, the gel time of epoxy resin can be predicted. Experiments tend to support the theory well. The activity and structure of the curing agent also play an important role. The equal stoichiometry epoxide/amine gives the cured resin the maximum glass translation temperature. Tests are analyzed by means of DSC and IR.
Keywords: epoxy resin;metaphenylene diamine;cure;gel