Characterization of the Rheology and Cure Kinetics of Epoxy Resin with Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Much research is currently being performed with carbon nanotube additives to neat resin systems to enhance properties such as thermal and electrical conductivity, strength, modulus and damping. Fabrication of parts based on carbon nanotube filled resin systems requires information on their cure kinetics and rheology, which has been relatively less studied so far. This work presents an extensive experimental study that systematically characterizes the cure kinetics and viscosity as a function of degree of cure and temperature of EPON 815C/EPICURE 3274 epoxy resin system laden with carbon nanotubes. Studies are conducted to determine the effects of the carbon nanotube loading and morphology on the cure reaction as well as the viscosity of the resin system in the early stages of the cure process, as is relevant in most processing applications. The experimental measurements are presented as generalized correlations as functions of the carbon nanotube parameters, carbon nanotube loading, temperature, degree of cure, and shear rate.