Curing reactions, reaction kinetics, and latency of epoxy resin cured with L‐tryptophan and L‐tyrosine

Abstract In the research on amino acids as bio‐based curing agents for epoxy resins, L‐tryptophan and L‐tyrosine have emerged as promising alternatives. Understanding the curing reactions and reaction kinetics is crucial for designing an appropriate curing regime to tailor the mechanical properties of thermosets. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the curing reactions, curing kinetics, and latency of epoxy resin cured with L‐tryptophan or L‐tyrosine in the presence of urea‐based accelerators. L‐tryptophan involves three distinct curing reactions, corresponding to its three functional groups, while data on L‐tyrosine as a curing agent is less definitive. The degree of cure can be reliably predicted using model‐free kinetics for all resin systems studied. Overall, the inclusion of accelerators facilitates rapid curing at elevated temperatures while maintaining adequate processability for up to four weeks of storage at room temperature.