Experimental determination and modelling of volume shrinkage in curing thermosets

TL;DR

This paper characterizes and models the volume shrinkage during the curing of epoxy thermosets, combining experimental measurements with the development of constitutive models for reaction kinetics and volume change.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental setup for measuring thermochemical volume changes and presents constitutive models for simulating the curing process of epoxy resins.

Findings

Quantitative data on volume shrinkage during curing

Validated models for reaction kinetics and volume change

Reliable measurement procedures accounting for environmental influences

Abstract

This work deals with the characterisation and modelling of the curing process and its associated volume changes of an epoxy based thermoset resin. Measurements from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) define the progress of the chemical reaction. The related thermochemical volume changes are recorded by an especially constructed experimental setup based on Archimedes principle. Information on measuring procedure and data processing are provided. This includes investigations on compensation of environmental influences, long-term stability and resolution. With the aim of simulating the adhesives curing process, constitutive models representing the reaction kinetics and thermochemical volume changes are presented and the model parameters are identified.