Cure monitoring of thermoset coatings

The combination of favorable features of tensile mode dynamic mechanical analysis and torsional braid analysis leads to a useful method for cure monitoring of thermoset coatings. This sensitive technique allows the observation of cure reactions over a wide time and temperature range, thus including gelation and long-term curing in one measurement. Isothermal baking can be simulated realistically, since evaporation of volatile compounds like solvents or blocking agents is not hindered and the sample film is in direct contact with the heating atmosphere. Examples are given showing the cure behavior of automotive clear coats and electro coats depending on parameters like crosslinker type and catalytic agents.