Cure kinetics of cationic polymerization of phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) and Tactix123 using CD-1012 as photoinitiator

Cationic polymerization of epoxy resins can be induced by UV or electron beam radiation and proceeds very efficiently in the presence of appropriate photoinitiators. Although good thermal properties have been obtained for some electron beam cured epoxy resins, other important mechanical properties such as interlaminar shear strength, fracture toughness, and compression are poor and do not meet the manufacturers standards. We have initiated a comprehensive study to investigate the kinetics and mechanism of UV and electron beam cured cationic polymerization of phenyl glycidyl ether, PGE, (model compound) and Tactix123 in the presence of CD-1012 as the photoinitiator. The objectives of this study is to see whether or not the same reaction conditions and kinetic parameters (e.g., radiation dose, concentration, temperature) control the properties of final polymeric products under both radiation conditions. The ultimate goal of this study is to identify the parameters that give rise to improved thermal and mec hanical properties of the final composite prepared by electron beam curing. We have employed fast kinetic spectroscopy to elucidate the mechanism of polymerization and identify the reactive intermediates involved.