Evolution of Yield Stress during Structural Relaxation for the Epoxy 828DEA

The evolution of yield stress from structural relaxation of diethanolamine cured diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A, 828DEA, was tracked using uniaxial compression experiments. Samples were aged isothermally for up to 3 months at 5 temperatures ranging from deep in the glass to above Tg. Since 828DEA has remaining reactive potential, it is anticipated that the Tg will continue to evolve throughout the course of the study as new chemical crosslinks are formed. Consequently, it is important to track the evolution of Tg as well as the progression of the fictive temperature in order to interpret the evolution of yield stress.