Flexibility of epoxy coatings. Part 2: The relationship with the degree of cure

The flexibility of epoxy coating films, crosslinked by a phenolic resin, has been evaluated. The network structures of these films were estimated by the method proposed in the companion paper. The coating films with a higher molecular weight of network chain, M_c, showed more flexibility. This was achieved by the use of an epoxy resin with higher molecular weight or an epoxy resin with a lower content of lower molecular weight components and by control of cure.