Epoxy resins are low molecular weight organic compounds used in the manufacturing of adhesives and plastics. They contain multiple epoxide groups and are prepolymer thermosetting compounds capable of forming hardener products when reacted with other organic compounds. The formation of this hardener is a process called curing; it involves a compound that introduces very tight crosslinking with possible irreversible changes to the epoxy resin to form a solid with high mechanical and chemical resistive properties. There are many classes of curing agents, each capable of producing different levels of crosslinking under different reaction conditions. During the curing process, reaction conditions can be manipulated to change the appearance of the epoxy and provide a more efficient curing rate. A common bisphenol A epoxy resin was reacted with a polyamide curing agent under a variety of reaction conditions, then analyzed to determine which provides the most desirable crosslinking and cure rate.

Effect of temperature on the cure rate of a bisphenol A epoxy resin synthesis process

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.