Study of curing of layered silicate/trifunctional epoxy nanocomposites by means of FTIR spectroscopy

A study was conducted on the curing process of a nanocomposite consisting of a trifunctional epoxy resin, a hardener containing reactive primary amine groups, and montmorillonite (MMT) nanoparticles, previously treated with octadecyl ammonium. Three levels of MMT content were used: 2, 5, and 10%. The curing was carried out following the cycle: 4 h at 100 degrees C, 2 h at 150 degrees C, and 2 h at 200 degrees C. Isothermal trials were also considered at three levels (120, 150, and 200 degrees C) to conduct a kinetic study. The curing conversion was determined by FTIR spectroscopy by selecting the suitable bands for epoxide and primary amine functional groups. The study demonstrated that the MMT nanoparticles accelerate the curing process, especially at the initial stages of the thermal cycle, being this influence quasi negligible at the end of the cycle. Curing conversions were also evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry and compared to those obtained by FTIR spectroscopy. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.