Rheological Behavior of an Epoxy/Amine System near the Gel Point

Experimental results are presented concerning the dynamic behavior of a cross-linking polymer near the gel point. Attention is focused on the exponents which govern the frequency dependence of the real and imaginary parts of the shear modulus. It is found that there is only one moment during the network formation at which these two exponents are identical, while this behavior is predicted during a time period including the gel point. Nevertheless, the exponent value found is not far from the percolation and Rouse model theories.