Mechanical characterization of epoxy moulding compound in pressurized steam

In this paper, the viscoelastic creep compliance of a molding compound in dry and wet environment is measured in 3 point bending mode. It is shown that steam significantly affects the thermo-mechanical properties of the molding compound. The glassy and rubbery modulus of the molding compound were seen to decrease almost by 20%. Furthermore the glass transition temperature decreased by about 30 °C and the creep process was seen to be about a factor 40 faster in a hot steam environment.