The Influence of Curing Temperature on Rheological Properties of Epoxy Adhesives

The curing process of three different epoxy adhesives, which are appropriate for bonding wood with metal, was characterized on the basis of their rheology. The rheological measurements were carried out using a TA Instruments ARES G2 stress control rheometer. The infl uence of temperature on the curing process was examined at fi ve different temperatures: 30, 40, 50, 60 and 80 °C. Curing was monitored by an oscillatory test by using geometry with disposable parallel plates. Gel time and vitrifi cation time were determined. Signifi cant differences in curing behaviour were observed among the studied adhesives. The results showed that increasing the curing temperature signifi cantly accelerated the curing process of the epoxy adhesives. It was also observed that the storage modulus G’ and the loss modulus G” decreased with an increasing temperature of curing.