Resin Viscosity and Kinetic Models

Kinetic models determine the minimum time required to cure the resin (i.e., guarantee sufficient physical and mechanical properties). They also determine the heat of reaction of the resin for use by heat transfer models and the degree of crosslinking for use in viscosity submodels. The exothermic cure reaction for the transformation of the epoxy resin to the cured matrix polymer can be expressed as  

Several viscosity and kinetic models, and experimental procedures for developing these models, are available for a number of commercially available resin systems [1-5]. These models allow insight into autoclave process decisions based on changes in resin viscosity and kinetic behavior and can be used to determine hold temperatures and durations that allow sufficient resin flow and cross-linking to avoid over bleeding, exotherms, and void formation. 

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