Study on Curing Kinetics and Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Hyperbranched Poly(Trimellitic Anhydride Ethylene Glycol) Epoxy (HTME)/Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol-A Epoxy Hybrid Resin

Hyperbranched poly(trimellitic anhydride ethylene glycol) epoxy (HTME) not only has relatively low viscosity and high molecular weight but also is a functional additive of enhancement and toughness and is used in the thermosetting resin field widely. The curing kinetics and thermal degradation kinetics of HTME/diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy hybrid resin were studied in detail using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis technique, respectively, by the Coats-Redfern model. The effect of molecular weight or generation and content of HTME on activation energy, reaction order, curing time, and curing reaction were discussed and analyzed, and the results indicated that HTME could accelerate curing reaction and reduce activation energy and reaction order of the curing reaction.