Volume Change of Thermosetting Resin during Curing Process under Variable Temperatures

The volume variation of thermosetting resin during curing process was investigated experimentally. Typical epoxy resin of bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin cured with diamine hardener was used for specimens. The volume of the resin was measured during curing process using buoyancy in the condition of variable temperatures. Considering the results of the experiments, new theoretical procedures to predict the volume variations of thermoset resins were proposed. The prediction by the procedure showed good agreement with experimental results under various conditions of different temperature histories.