Publication: Effectiveness of a newly developed arduino rheometer in evaluating cure characteristics of thermosets polymers
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Date
2024-08-01
Authors
Norjannah Binti Zulkifli
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Abstract
This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of a newly developed Arduino-based rheometer in accurately evaluating the curing characteristics of thermoset polymers, specifically polyester and epoxy resins. The study focused on the influence of temperature and composition on the curing process, particularly examining the role of hardener ratio and MEKP percentage. The polyester system was investigated employing a 3x3 factorial design for the MEKP concentration (1%, 2% and 3%) and temperature (30°C, 40°C and 50°C). For the epoxy system the epoxy to amine ratios were held constant at three different temperatures (70°C, 90°C & 120°C). In the case of epoxy, the study maintained a fixed epoxy-amine ratio of 2:1 and investigated the curing process at three different temperatures: The temperatures include; 70 °C, 90 °C, and 120 °C. The parameters of the rheological properties of the samples during curing were recorded using the Arduino-based rheometer. The result also showed that at the higher curing temperature of 90°C and 120°C the curing reaction rate was faster and the degree of cross linking was higher. The rheometer that was developed with an Arduino assessed viscosity and elasticity during the curing process. The investigation revealed the differences in the torque and speed (RPM) with various MEKP concentrations and temperature, which prove that rheometer can be used to track the changes during the hardening of thermoset polymers. From the results obtained it was observed that the higher concentrations of MEKP led to faster reaction rates as depicted by the torque and the speed. Also, the rheological properties of epoxy-amine system measured using the Arduino rheometer were compared with those from an Anton Paar rheometer as a standard for reference. However, the weak effects of temperature at some concentration levels imply that there is need for more research so as to determine the various factors that affect the process.