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The effects of cobalt promoter and glass fibers on the curing behavior of unsaturated polyester resin
Author(s) -
Yousefi A.,
Lafleur P. G.,
Gauvin R.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of vinyl and additive technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.295
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1548-0585
pISSN - 1083-5601
DOI - 10.1002/vnl.10183
Subject(s) - materials science , curing (chemistry) , polyester , isothermal process , autocatalysis , arrhenius equation , composite material , polymer chemistry , thermodynamics , activation energy , chemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis , physics
In this study, a phenomenological autocatalytic kinetic model is used to describe the cure of a polyester system containing a cobalt‐based promoter. The effect of including the promoter in the cure system is discussed regarding the changes in the kinetic parameters. It was found that the cure characteristics of the unsaturated polyester system were affected by the presence of the promoter. This effect resulted in a temperature dependency of the reaction exponents as well as in a significant increase of the Arrhenius frequency factor at low temperatures. The changes in cure characteristics of promoted polyester system caused by incorporation of chopped glass fibers were also investigated. The results indicate that unlike the promoter, the presence of glass fibers does not appreciably affect the reaction exponents. However, the presence of glass fibers results in some changes in the overall reaction rate of the cure system. To take into account the unrecorded extent of reaction at high cure temperatures, a new procedure was implemented. This procedure estimates a correction factor related to the total isothermal heat of cure obtained from DSC experiments at different isothermal cure temperatures.