A Hot Stage Microscope Technique for the Study of Thermosetting Powders

Abstract
The curing of powder takes place in four distinct stages: melt, flow, gel and cure. Melt and flow have been studied using a hot stage microscope technique, incorporating the Quantimet television microscope, to measure the surface area covered by a powder with increasing temperature. Eight different powders were studied, and in particular a standard epoxy powder was examined on various substrates. There is a significant difference in the flow characteristics of the various powder types and attempts were made to relate these results to certain properties of the powder and cured film.

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