Epoxy resin composite fabrics have a really fascinating power to weight ratio,
and for this reason are utilized in an more and more varied diversity of excessive performance
applications. lately there were numerous investigations into some of the varieties of
luminescence exhibited by means of epoxy resins after they are cured in air (oxyluminescence) or
irradiated with UV gentle (charge recombination luminescence (CRL)). even if, no
actual makes use of have not begun been stumbled on for those phenomena, notwithstanding it's been proposed that
CRL has power use as an in situ approach to therapy tracking, or for measuring the
water content material of totally cured composites. As at present calls for new and simpler
techniques in either one of those parts, the paintings defined during this thesis is geared toward making a
complete research of a formerly uncharacterised resin/hardener procedure (Ciba-Geigy
MY 721 (an epoxy resin in response to 4,4-tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane (TGDDM))
+ 36.1 % wt. 4,4-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS)) and investigating the possible
applications of CRL as described.

The resin research used to be performed over a variety of temperatures from a hundred and sixty °C to
190 °C and consisted of dimension of the switch in rheology in the course of medication utilizing a
parallel plate torsion rheometer approach (TRS); calculation of the entire warmth of treatment and
production of %cure v. time curves utilizing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC);
generation of focus profiles for epoxy, basic amine, secondary amine, tertiary
amine, hydroxyl and ether teams utilizing simultaneous FTIR/DSC; and size of
CRL job in the course of therapy, and either CRL and thermoluminescence (TL) job at lower
temperatures, together with samples uncovered to water, utilizing unmarried photon counting
apparatus in particular designed and equipped on the collage of Sussex.

Combining the implications from the TRS and CRL equipment it used to be chanced on that the
sharp raise in UV-induced CRL task halfway throughout the therapy didn't correlate to
the both sharp elevate in modulus of the method attributed to the gel aspect, $$urring
instead someplace among gelation and vitrification. An try out used to be made to sensitise
the procedure utilizing viscosity based dopants, yet with no good fortune. It used to be therefore
concluded that using CRL as an in situ therapy visual display unit to point the onset of gelation
is now not viable.

Thermoluminescence job used to be came across to extend with measure of therapy, but
decrease at increased irradiation temperatures, as envisioned. Absorption of water into the
cured resin matrix used to be discovered to dramatically lessen either CRL and TL signals,
confirming that this system can be utilized for tracking water uptake in composite
materials in provider, notwithstanding actual getting old might end up to be a complicating factor.

Fitting of the person response expense curves to the DSC strains, bought from the
simultaneous DSC/FTIR experiments, to bare person response enthalpies was
attempted, yet proved unreliable.