Split post dielectric resonator technique for dielectric cure monitoring of structural adhesives

Abstract

The split post dielectric resonator (SPDR) technique has been used to monitor in situ changes in the dielectric constant and loss tangent in thermoset adhesives, as a result of the reduction of reactants of relatively low molecular weight. These dielectric studies appear to complement other polymer characterization techniques such as dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) methods. Although other types of dielectric cure monitoring devices are available, we feel that the split post dielectric resonator offers maximum sensitivity for determining the dielectric parameters directly and accurately.