Abstract
Curing kinetics of an industrially important printedcircuitboard (PCB) base material (epoxy–phenol/glass fillers)were studied by isothermal differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) measurements between 150 and 190°C, as relevant curingtemperatures for the PCB industry. The extent of cure was calculatedby integration of the exothermic peak and normalizationby the total heat of reaction (obtained by nonisothermal DSC).Although the cross-linking was completed above 180°C, thekinetic profiles show two regimes: one fast and one slow. Thekinetic parameters have been elucidated using an isoconversionalmodel-free kinetic method, with the exact method of Friedman,to give to the PCB manufacturers a road map to predict curingbehavior of base material. The linearity of Arrhenius plots wassatisfactory. The apparent activation energy of curing reactionhas been found to increase with the degree of conversion. Theelucidation of the kinetic parameters allows us to propose anaccurate and predictive description of the curing kinetics withinthe fast regimen of reaction (i.e., without vitrification). Finally,we discuss how these kinetic measurements and models can becompleted and optimized.