Abstract
Hyperbranched poly(trimellitic anhydride butylene glycol)ester epoxy (HTBE) has relatively low viscosity and high molecular mass and holds great promise as a functional additive for enhancing the strength and toughness of thermosetting resins. The effect of molecular mass or generation and content of HTBE on the activation energy, reaction order, and curing time was discussed using DSC and TG techniques. The results indicated that HTBE could accelerate the curing speed and reduce the activation energy and reaction order of the curing reaction, and the thermal degradation activation energy (Ea 2) of HTBE/DGEBA hybrid resin also decreased remarkably in high temperature section.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50903094), Science & Technology Chenguang Young Project of Wuhan, China (No. 200850731406) and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK2009585).