Modeling the curing kinetics of two thermoset adhesives under varying temperature conditions

This paper presents detailed curing kinetics models for two thermoset adhesives. The cure kinetics were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry in both anisothermal and isothermal modes. The Sestak–Berggren autocatalytic model was applied to describe the anisothermal cure kinetics of the two adhesives with the Malek and undetermined coefficients methods determining their kinetic parameters. The Kamal autocatalytic model was adopted for the isothermal curing processes with the Kenny analytical-graphical method determining the kinetic parameters. A modified Kamal model was developed by introducing a concept of the maximum degree of cure (DOC) and temperature-depended kinetic parameters to describe the isothermal cure kinetics of the adhesive with a typical exothermic peak, and an extended Kamal model was further proposed by adding an initial-phase-control term to the modified Kamal model to describe the isothermal cure kinetics of the adhesive with two exothermic peaks. The results showed that the presented curing kinetics models with the determined parameters can precisely predict the evolutions of the DOC of the two thermoset adhesives in both anisothermal and isothermal modes.