Photoacoustic monitoring of adhesive curing

The crosslinking reaction of an epoxy‐based resin has been monitored by observing the time evolution of the thermal diffusivity of the mixture, using photoacoustic spectroscopy. The results are interpreted in terms of the expected thermal properties of liquids, polymers and solids, and a comparison with the reported viscosity behavior in similar systems is also made. The potential of the technique for following the curing process is discussed.