The influence of the processing temperature on gamma curing of epoxy resins for the production of advanced composites

Gamma radiation curing of an epoxy monomer, in the presence of an iodonium salt, as initiator, is studied. Systems have been polymerized at the same irradiation dose and dose rate and at different processing temperatures. The experimental results show that all the irradiated materials exhibit a latent reactivity, undergoing toward an increase of crosslinking density if they are thermally cured after irradiation. The results indicate that the processing temperature affects both the crosslinking density after irradiation and the sensibility to the post-irradiation thermal treatment.