| Abstract: | Brillouin scattering (BS), photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), and ultrasonic (US) measurements were conducted to study the curing process of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A with butane-1,4-diol at a curing temperature of 100°C. The experimental techniques probe the primary glass-rubber transition during the curing reaction. The primary relaxation time τ obtained from the BS and US velocity and absorption increases with curing time and hence the BS experiment measures τ at earlier stages of cure than the US experiment. The relaxation times at a different extent of reaction and for different measuring temperatures are consistent with BS, US, PCS, and DSC measurements and conform to a single reduced Vogel–Fulcher–Hesse–Tamann equation. Furthermore, the US experiments show evidence of secondary relaxations in the epoxy system. |
