Predictive Model for Epoxy‐Amine Polymerizations at Decreased Tc Using Variable Frequency Microwaves

ABSTRACT This study presents a predictive model for the thermo‐mechanical properties of epoxy polymers cured with Variable Frequency Microwave (VFM) processing. The model is based on properties derived from the structural features of the epoxide and amine precursors. The choices of total entropy, amine basicity, and total polarizability provide major processing advantages over conventional thermal polymerization methods. VFM lowers curing temperature (Tc) by up to 52% and cuts processing time in half. This lowered polymerization temperature preserves essential material properties such as ultimate glass transition temperature (Tg∞), minimized coefficient of thermal expansion, crosslink density, storage modulus, and average molecular weight between crosslinks.