The non-isothermal DSC kinetics of polyethylene tereftalate–epoxy compatible blends

Polyethylene tereftalate has been dissolved in an epoxy resin based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A, DGEBA, and the epoxy component has been cross-linked with the aid of two diamine hardeners. Two series of samples have been tested at the epoxy-amine stoichiometry applying the differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, in scanning mode. One of the series of samples was pre-cured at low temperatures with the aid of an aliphatic diamine hardener near the gel point and post-cured with diaminodiphenyl sulfone, DDS. The other series of samples contained the higher temperature hardener only. Consequently, the experimental data obtained in this study on both systems relate to the non-isothermal curing of DGEBA with DDS. The kinetics has been estimated applying preferably isoconversional (model free) methods. It has been established that the fast pre-curing allows performing a sub-micro phase separation and efficient toughening of the epoxy matrix.

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► The non-isothermal DSC kinetics of the reaction of DGEBA with DDS, in particular in the presence of phase separating PET, has been studied.
► The specific features in the kinetics of PET formulations in comparison to the pure system have been discussed.
► The fast pre-curing of the epoxy phase allows supposing sub-micro phase separation of PET and efficient toughening of the epoxy matrix.