Blends of epoxy–amine resins with poly(phenylene oxide) as processing aids and toughening agents: I. Uncured systems

The effect of two different bisphenol‐A‐based diepoxides—nearly pure DGEBA340 and a DGEBA381 oligomer—and an aromatic diamine curative (MCDEA) on the solubility and processability of poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) was studied. The solubility parameters of the diepoxies and the curative calculated from Fedors's method suggest miscibility of PPO with the components, and this was observed at the processing temperature; however, some of the blends were not transparent at room temperature, indicating phase immiscibility and/or partial PPO crystallization. The steady shear and dynamic viscosities of the systems agreed well with the Cox–Merz relationship and the logarithmic viscosities decreased approximately linearly with increasing amounts of DGEBA381, DGEBA340 or MCDEA, thus causing a processability enhancement of the PPO. The dynamic rheology of intermediate PPO:DGEBA compositions at 200 °C showed gel‐like behaviour. Dynamic mechanical analysis of blends with varying PPO:DGEBA ratios showed that the main glass transition temperature (T_g) of the blends decreased continuously with increasing epoxy content, with a slightly higher plasticizing efficiency being exhibited by DGEBA340 compared to DGEBA381. However, blends with 50 and 60 wt% PPO had almost identical T_g due to the phase separation of the former blends. The blends of MCDEA and PPO were miscible over the concentration range investigated and T_g of the blends decreased with increasing MCDEA concentration. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Morphology profiles obtained by reaction‐induced phase separation in epoxy/polysulfone/poly(ether imide) systems

The reaction‐induced phase separation in epoxy/aromatic diamine formulations simultaneously modified with two immiscible thermoplastics (TPs), poly(ether imide) (PEI) and polysulfone (PSF), has been studied. The epoxy monomer was based on the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and the aromatic diamine was 4,4′‐methylenebis(3‐chloro 2,6‐diethylaniline) (MCDEA). Phase‐separation conversions are reported for various PSF/PEI proportions for blends containing 10 wt% total TP. On the basis of phase‐separation results, a conversion–composition phase diagram at 200 °C was compiled. This diagram was used to design particular cure cycles in order to generate different morphologies during the phase‐separation process. It was found that, depending on the PSF/PEI ratio employed, a particulate or a morphology characterized by a distribution of irregular PEI‐rich domains dispersed in an epoxy‐rich phase was obtained for initially miscible blends. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization revealed that the PEI‐rich phase exhibits a phase‐inverted structure and the epoxy‐rich matrix presents a bimodal size distribution of TP‐rich particles. For PSF/PEI ratios near the miscibility limit, slight temperature change result in morphology profiles. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Curing behaviour of syndiotactic polystyrene–epoxy blends: 1. Kinetics of curing and phase separation process

The modification of the curing behaviour and the phase separation process for an epoxy resin blended with a crystalline thermoplastic was investigated in the case of the diglycidylether of bisphenol‐A (DGEBA)/4,4′‐methylene bis(3‐chloro‐2,6‐diethylaniline) (MCDEA) blended with syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) and cured at 220 °C. Phase separation taking place during curing of the blend was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical microscopy in order to get a better understanding of the complex interactions between cure kinetics of epoxy matrix and crystallisation of sPS, both influenced by blend composition. Results suggested that phase separation and crystallisation of sPS occurred at almost similar times, with phase separation just being ahead of crystallisation. DSC and near‐infrared measurements were used for the determination of the cure kinetics. Slow delays on the cure reactions were observed during the first minutes for the sPS‐containing blends compared with the neat DGEBA/MCDEA system but, after some time, the reaction rate became faster for the blends than for the neat matrix. Phase separation occurring in the mixtures may explain this particular phenomenon. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Cure behavior,morphology, and mechanical properties of the melt blends of epoxy with polyphenylene oxide

Cure behavior, miscibility, and phase separation have been studied in blends of polyphenylene oxide (PPO) with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) resin and cyanate ester hardener. An autocatalytic mechanism was observed for the epoxy/PPO blends and the neat epoxy. It was also found that the epoxy/PPO blends react faster than the neat epoxy. During cure, the epoxy resin is polymerized, and the reaction‐induced phase separation is accompanied by phase inversion upon the concentration of PPO greater than 50 phr. The dynamic mechanical measurements indicate that the two‐phase character and partial mixing existed in all the mixtures. However, the two‐phase particulate morphology was not uniform especially at a low PPO content. In order to improve the uniformity and miscibility, triallylisocyanurate (TAIC) was evaluated as an in situ compatibilizer for epoxy/PPO blends. TAIC is miscible in epoxy, and the PPO chains are bound to TAIC network. SEM observations show that adding TAIC improves the miscibility and solvent resistance of the epoxy/PPO blends. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 26–34, 2000     

Processing and chemorheology of epoxy resins and their blends with dendritic hyperbranched polymers

Toughened epoxy systems have found increasing applications in automotive, aerospace, and electronic packaging industries. The present article reported work done for elucidation of gelation and vitrification for various epoxy systems and their blends with dendritic hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) having epoxy and hydroxyl functionality. Gel time was found to increase with increasing functionality from diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) to tetraglycidyl diaminodiphenyl methane (TGDDM). The vitrification point was clearly identified from rheological experiments for triglycidyl p‐amino phenol (TGAP) and TGDDM. In the case of DGEBA a clear display of vitrification was not observed. TGDDM underwent vitrification sooner than did TGAP. Hydroxyl‐functionalized HBP reduced the gel time of the blends because of the accelerating effect of –OH groups to the epoxy curing reaction. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1604–1610, 2004     

Partially fluorinated polymer networks: Synthesis and structural characterization

Functionalizacion of epoxy‐based networks by the preferential surface enrichment of perfluorinated tails to achieve hydrophobic surface is described. The selected fluorinated epoxies (FE) were: 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,9,9,9‐hexadecafluoro‐8‐trifluoromethyl nonyloxirane (FED3) and 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,9‐heptadecafluoro nonyloxirane (FES3). Two series of crosslinked fluorinated epoxy‐based materials containing variable fluorine contents (from 0 to 5 wt % F) were prepared using formulations based on partially fluorinated diamine, epoxy monomer and a curing agent. The epoxy monomer was based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) while the curing agents were either propyleneoxide diamine (JEFFAMINE) or 4,4′‐methylenebis(3‐chloro 2,6‐diethylaniline) (MCDEA). It was found that depending on the curing agent employed, homogeneous distribution of fluorine or phase separation distinguishable at micrometer or nanometer scale was obtained when curing blends initially homogeneous. The morphology and composition of partially fluorinated networks were investigated on a micrometer scale combining scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray analysis. When curing with JEFFAMINE, samples were homogeneous for all fluorine proportions. In contrast, MCDEA‐cured blends showed fluorine‐rich zones dispersed in a continuous epoxy‐rich phase. A completely different morphology, characterized by a distribution of irregular fluorine‐rich domains dispersed in an epoxy‐rich phase, was obtained when curing blends initially immiscible. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011.     

Cure reaction and phase separation behavior of cyanate ester‐cured epoxy/polyphenylene oxide blends

The cure reaction and phase separation mechanism of a cyanate ester‐cured epoxy and its blends with polyphenylene oxide (PPO) were studied. An autocatalytic mechanism was observed for the epoxy and its blends. The reaction rate of the blends was higher than that of the neat epoxy at initial stage; however, the reached conversion decreased with PPO content. FTIR analysis revealed that the cyanate functional group reactions were accelerated by adding PPO and indicated that several coreactions have occurred. This was caused by the reaction of cyanate ester with the PPO reactive chain ends. But at a later stage of cure, the reaction could not progress further due to diffusional limitation of PPO. To understand the relationship between the cure kinetics and phase separation of the blends, the morphology of the blends during cure was examined. When the homogeneous epoxy/PPO blends with low PPO content (10 phr) were cured isothermally, the blends were separated by nucleation and growth (NG) mechanism to form the PPO particle structure. But at high PPO content (30 phr), the phase separation took place via spinodal decomposition (SD). SD is favored near critical concentration and high cure rate system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:1139–1145, 2006     

Epoxy resin containing the poly(sily ether): Preparation,morphology, and mechanical properties

The poly(sily ether) with pendant chloromethyl groups (PSE) was synthesized by the polyaddition of dichloromethylsilane (DCM) and diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) as a catalyst. This polymer was miscible with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), the precursor of epoxy resin. The miscibility is considered to be due mainly to entropy contribution because the molecular weight of DGEBA is quite low. The blends of epoxy resin with PSE were prepared through in situ curing reaction of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) in the presence of PSE. The DDM‐cured epoxy resin/PSE blends with PSE content up to 40 wt % were obtained. The reaction started from the initial homogeneous ternary mixture of DGEBA/DDM/PSE. With curing proceeding, phase separation induced by polymerization occurred. PSE was immiscible with the 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane‐cured epoxy resin (ER) because the blends exhibited two separate glass transition temperatures (T_gs) as revealed by the means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). SEM showed that all the ER/PSE blends are heterogeneous. Depending on blend composition, the blends can display PSE‐ or epoxy‐dispersed morphologies, respectively. The mechanical test showed that the DDM‐cured ER/PSE blend containing 25 wt % PSE displayed a substantial improvement in Izod impact strength, i.e., epoxy resin was significantly toughened. The improvement in impact toughness corresponded to the formation of PSE‐dispersed phase structure. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 505–512, 2003     

Transparent multiphasic polystyrene/epoxy blends

Blends of polystyrene (PS) with an epoxy monomer (DGEBA) and a tertiary amine (BDMA), were initially miscible at 120°C but phase‐separated at very low conversions in the course of polymerization. Although there was a significant difference between the refractive indices of polystyrene and the DGEBA/BDMA solution, the refractive index of the epoxy network increased in the course of polymerization, attaining a value close to that of PS at complete conversion. A sharp decrease of the light transmittance was observed at the cloud‐point, observed at very low conversions. However, the continuous increase of the refractive index of the epoxy phase with conversion produced an approximate matching of both refractive indices, leading to transparent materials at complete conversion. Morphologies generated by reaction‐induced phase separation depended on the molar mass distribution of polystyrene and its mass fraction in the blend. For a PS with a high value of the mass‐average molar mass (M_w), it was possible to generate a dispersion of PS particles in the epoxy matrix (blends containing 5 wt% PS), phase‐inverted morphologies (blends containing 15 wt% PS) and double‐phase morphologies (blends with 10 wt% PS). Therefore, PS/DGEBA/BDMA blends could be used to obtain transparent epoxy coatings toughened by polystyrene particles or transparent polystyrene parts reinforced by a dispersion of epoxy particles.     

Effect of tertiary polysiloxane on the phase separation and properties of epoxy/PEI blend

Epoxy functional siloxane (DMS-E09) was blended with epoxy resin (DGEBA) and thermoplastic polyetherimide (PEI). The results of morphology monitoring indicated that the reaction induced phase separation for all blends followed the spinodal phase separation mechanism. The microstructure changed from co-continuous of 25 wt% epoxy/PEI system to phase-inversion structure of 30 wt% epoxy/PEI system regardless of the content of the tertiary component DMS-E09. By comparing the onset time of phase separation between the two designated systems, the sequential occurrence of primary macrophase separation in co-continuous phase and secondary microphase separation in PEI-rich phase for 25 wt% epoxy/PEI system was identified. Studies of the thermomechanical properties of the DGEBA/PEI/DMS-E09 blends found that storage modulus increased with the addition of PEI but decreased with DMS-E09 monotonically. The value of T_g decreased with the addition of the tertiary DMS-E09 but was offset partially by the presence of PEI.     

Rheological,mechanical, and morphological studies of epoxy/poly(methyl methacrylate) semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks

Semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks (semi‐IPNs) of epoxy resin and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were synthesized. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was polymerized by free radical mechanism with azo‐bis‐isobutyronitrile in the presence of oligomeric epoxy resin (DGEBA), and hexahydrophthalic anhydride as crosslinking agent. The gelation and vitrification transitions during cure/polymerization processes have been examined using parallel‐plates rheological technique. From differential scanning calorimetry and rheological techniques, it was suggested that both curing and polymerization processes occur simultaneously. However, the gelation time was longer for the semi‐IPN than those observed for the cure of pure DGEBA or polymerization of MMA. The gelation time increased significantly when 5% of MMA was employed, suggesting a diluent effect of the monomer. Higher amount of MMA resulted in a decrease of gel time, probably because of the simultaneous polymerization of MMA during the curing process. Structural examination of the semi‐IPNs, using scanning electron microscopy, revealed phase separation in nanoscale size for semi‐IPNs containing PMMA at concentrations up to 15%. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Effect of curing order on the curing kinetics and morphology of bisGMA/DGEBA interpenetrating polymer networks

The curing kinetics and morphology of an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) formed from an epoxy resin (DGEBA) cured by an imidazole (1‐MeI) and a dimethacrylate resin (bisGMA), cured by low‐ and high‐temperature peroxide initiators (TBPEH and DHPB, respectively) have been studied by temperature‐ramping DSC, isothermal near‐infrared (NIR), DMTA and small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS). bisGMA and DGEBA are polar and chemically similar thermosetting resins which should enhance the miscibility of their IPNs. The phase structure was controlled by varying the curing procedure: the order of gelation of the components is dependent on the choice of low‐ and high‐temperature initiators for bisGMA and this affects the morphology formation. In the cure of the bisGMA/TBPEH:DGEBA/1‐MeI system, the dimethacrylate cures first. For isothermal cure studies at 80 °C, the final conversion of the epoxy is reduced by high crosslinking of the methacrylate groups in the IPN causing vitrification before full cure. The dimethacrylate conversion is enhanced due to plasticisation with unreacted DGEBA, and its cure rate is increased due to accelerated decomposition of TBPEH initiator by 1‐MeI. SANS revealed that phase separation occurs in these IPNs with domains on the scale of 6–7 nm. In the cure of the bisGMA/DHBP:DGEBA/1‐MeI system, the epoxy cures at a similar rate to that of the methacrylate groups. For isothermal cure studies at 80 °C, similar final conversions of the epoxy have been observed except for the 75:25 IPN. The cure rate of the methacrylate groups in the IPN is increased also due to accelerated decomposition of DHBP initiator by 1‐MeI, and the extent of accelerated decomposition for DHBP is stronger than that in the TBPEH‐based systems. SANS studies revealed that this system is more homogeneous due to the rapid formation of the dimethacrylate gel in the presence of the preformed epoxy network which interlocks the networks at low degrees of methacrylate conversion. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Different parameters controlling the initial solubility of two thermoplastics in epoxy reactive solvents

The influence of different factors on the miscibility of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)/thermoplastic blends was studied. DGEBA/poly(ether imide) (PEI) blends exhibited upper critical solution temperature behavior. The addition of a trifunctional epoxy [triglycidyl para‐amino phenol (TGpAP)] increased the miscibility window. The addition of diamines as hardeners could also increase [4,4′‐methylene‐bis(3‐chloro‐2,6‐diethylaniline) (MCDEA)] or decrease (4,4′‐diaminodiphenylsulfone) the miscibility window. DGEBA/poly(ether sulfone) (PES) blends showed lower critical solution temperature behavior. The addition of TGpAP had an effect similar to that for PEI blends, but the presence of MCDEA as a hardener decreased the miscibility of epoxy/PES blends. The modeling of the cloud‐point curves was performed with the Flory–Huggins equation (Flory, P. J. Principles of Polymer Chemistry; Cornell University Press: Ithaca, NY, 1953; p 672) according to the procedure developed by K. Kamide, S. Matsuada, and H. Shirataki (Eur Polym J 1990, 26, 379), with the interaction parameter used as the fitting parameter. A phenomenological model that takes into account the molar mass of DGEBA and the amount of TGpAP is proposed and is found to predict the cloud‐point temperature of any TGpAP/DGEBA/PEI blend. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1385–1396, 2002     

Curing kinetics and reaction‐induced homogeneity in networks of poly(4‐vinyl phenol) and diglycidylether epoxide cured with amine

Mixtures of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A (DGEBA) epoxy resin with poly(4‐vinyl phenol) (PVPh) of various compositions were examined with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), using the curing agent 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS). The phase morphology of the cured epoxy blends and their curing mechanisms depended on the reactive additive, PVPh. Cured epoxy/PVPh blends exhibited network homogeneity based on a single glass transition temperature (T_g) over the whole composition range. Additionally, the morphology of these cured PVPh/epoxy blends exhibited a homogeneous network when observed by optical microscopy. Furthermore, the DDS‐cure of the epoxy blends with PVPh exhibited an autocatalytic mechanism. This was similar to the neat epoxy system, but the reaction rate of the epoxy/polymer blends exceeded that of neat epoxy. These results are mainly attributable to the chemical reactions between the epoxy and PVPh, and the regular reactions between DDS and epoxy. Polym. Eng. Sci. 45:1–10, 2005. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Crosslinking reaction of epoxy resin (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A) by anionically polymerized polycaprolactam: I. Mechanism and optimization

Different ratios of epoxy resin, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and ?‐caprolactam (starting from 10:90 DGEBA and vice versa), were used to synthesize reactive DGEBA and polycaprolactam blends by the anionic polymerization of ?‐caprolactam at 140°C. Anionic polymerization was conducted with a strong base such as sodium hydride as a catalyst along with a cocatalyst such as N‐acetyl caprolactam. The reaction mechanism, possible cure reactions, and reaction conditions of the reactive blends were studied with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The experiments were carried to study the optimization ratio and the effect of the composition on properties such as hardness and tensile strength of the reactive blends. The DGEBA was crosslinked by polycaprolactam through the reaction of the oxirane group with the amide nitrogen, and the reaction was very fast. A ratio of 80:20 (DGEBA:?‐caprolactam) was optimum, and the resulting blend showed the highest tensile strength and hardness. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3237–3247, 2003     

Mechanical,thermal, and viscoelastic response of novel in situ CTBN/POSS/epoxy hybrid composite system

The present study focuses on the preparation of a novel hybrid epoxy nanocomposite with glycidyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) as nanofiller, carboxyl terminated poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐butadiene) (CTBN) as modifying agent and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) as matrix polymer. The reaction between DGEBA, CTBN, and glycidyl POSS was carefully monitored and interpreted by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). An exclusive mechanism of the reaction between the modifier, nanofiller, and the matrix is proposed herein, which attempts to explains the chemistry behind the formation of an intricate network between POSS, CTBN, and DGEBA. The mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, and fracture toughness, were also carefully examined. The fracture toughness increases for epoxy/CTBN, epoxy/POSS, and epoxy/CTBN/POSS hybrid systems with respect to neat epoxy, but for hybrid composites toughening capability of soft rubber particles is lost by the presence of POSS. Field emission scanning electron micrographs (FESEM) of fractured surfaces were examined to understand the toughening mechanism. The viscoelastic properties of epoxy/CTBN, epoxy/POSS, and epoxy/CTBN/POSS hybrid systems were analyzed using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The storage modulus shows a complex behavior for the epoxy/POSS composites due to the existence of lower and higher crosslink density sites. However, the storage modulus of the epoxy phase decreases with the addition of soft CTBN phase. The T_g corresponding to epoxy‐rich phase was evident from the dynamic mechanical spectrum. For hybrid systems, the T_g is intermediate between the epoxy/rubber and epoxy/POSS systems. Finally, TGA (thermo gravimetric analysis) studies were employed to evaluate the thermal stability of prepared blends and composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2109–2120, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Kinetics modeling and time-temperature-transformation diagram of microwave and thermal cure of epoxy resins

Stoichimetric mixtures of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)/ diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) and a DGEBA/meta phenylene diamine (mPDA) were cured using both microwave and thermal energy. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) was used for the measurement of the extent of cure and thermal mechanical analysis (TMA) was used for the determination of the glass transition temperature (T_g). The cure kinetics of the DGEBA/mPDA and DGEBA/DDS systems were described by an autocatalytic kinetic model up to vitrification in both the microwave and thermal cure. For the DGEBA/mPDA system, the reaction rate constants of the primary amine-epoxy reaction are equal to those of the secondary amine-epoxy reaction, and the etherification reaction is negligible for both microwave and thermal cure. For the DGEBA/DDS system, the reaction rate constants of the primary amine-epoxy reaction are greater than those of the secondary amine-epoxy reaction and the etherification reaction is only negligible at low cure temperatures for both microwave and thermal cure. Microwave radiation decreases the reaction rate constant ratio of the secondary amine-epoxy reaction to the primary amine-epxy reaction and the ratio of the etherification reaction to the primary amine-epoxy reaction. T_g data were fitted to the DiBenedetto model. A master curve and a time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram were constructed. The vitrification time is shorter in microwave cure than in thermal cure, especially at higher isothermal cure temperatures. For the DGEBA/mPDA system, the minimum vitrification time is two to five times shorter in the microwave cure than in the thermal cure. For the DGEBA/DDS system, the minimum vitrification time is 44 times shorter in the microwave cure than in the thermal cure.     

Layered silicate nanocomposites based on various high‐functionality epoxy resins: The influence of an organoclay on resin cure

The influence of an organically modified clay on the curing behavior of three epoxy systems widely used in the aerospace industry and of different structures and functionalities was studied. Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), triglycidyl p‐amino phenol (TGAP) and tetraglycidyl diamino diphenylmethane (TGDDM) were mixed with an octadecyl ammonium ion modified organoclay and cured with diethyltoluene diamine (DETDA). The techniques of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), chemorheology and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were applied to investigate gelation and vitrification behavior, as well as catalytic effects of the clay on resin cure. While the formation of layered silicate nanocomposite based on the bifunctional DGEBA resin has been previously investigated to some extent, this paper represents the first detailed study of the cure behavior of different high performance, epoxy nanocomposite systems.     

Modeling the dielectric behavior of epoxy resin blends during curing

A model is developed to describe the evolution of dielectric behavior during the cure of epoxy resins and of blends containing soluble polymeric additives. Data on cure kinetics are used to predict: (a) changes in viscosity and hence in ion mobility; (b) gelation times; (c) vitrification times; and (d) dipolar relaxation times, for both resin and blends. These predictions are then used in conjunction with the Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars (MWS) theory to calculate dielectric permittivity ?′ and loss ?″ as functions of cure time and test frequency in both resin and blends. The predictions are compared with experimental data on dielectric behavior obtained during cure of both neat epoxy resin and of blends containing 15 wt% CTBN (carboxyl-terminated poly(butadiene-co-acrylonitrile)).