Composites

Curing Performance Measurement

Many methods are used for the determination of curing kinetics.

As an example, the curing kinetic and performance in a cold cure system can be measured by the viscosity increase over time and/or the temperature increase over time.

The Crosslinking reaction between the unsaturated polyester and styrene is exothermic. The exothermic heat generated is proportional to the level of unsaturation of the chain and the amount of styrene. The heat generated can auto accelerate the hardening reaction but some processes cannot sustain high temperatures.

In molding processes, high temperatures can lead to excessive shrinkage, warpage and cracking for thicker parts.

Figure 1 below shows the principle of one possible measurement and the typical curves obtained.

Figure 1: Cure performance measurment system

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