Curing of an epoxy resin modified with nanoclay monitored by dielectric spectroscopy and rheological measurements

Dielectric and rheological measurements have been performed in “real-time” to follow curing reaction on blends of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin with 4,4-methylene bis(2,6-diethylaniline) hardener and different amounts of organically modified nanoclay (Nanofil 919) as modifier. The effect of the modifier and its amount on the curing reaction, as well as that of the curing temperature has been studied. Changes in molecular mobility in the reaction mixture have been investigated by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. Evolutions of ionic conductivity and main relaxation have been analyzed and vitrification times have been obtained and compared with those obtained by rheological …