Rheological Monitoring of Phase Separation Induced by Chemical Reaction in Thermoplastic-Modified Epoxy

Abstract

Rheological measurements were made to monitor in situ the phase separation induced by chemical reaction in blends of tetraglycidyl-diaminodiphenylmethane epoxy resin with an aromatic diamine hardener and a thermoplastic having a high glass-transition temperature. The final morphologies were observed by optical and electron microscopy. We showed that the type of morphology can be identified during phase separation by means of viscoelastic measurements. Gelation and vitrifications of the two phases can also be monitored with this technique. The strain applied during the experiments had a strong influence on the final morphology.