Thermal Analysis Application Brief Determination of Moisture in Epoxy Resin

Reproducible flow properties for the thermoset molded resins are necessary to insure that the manufacturing conditions used, such as mold temperature, mold pressure and cure time, consistently yield a usable final product. Lot-to-lot variations in flow properties can result in material which does not mold properly and must be rejected. One quantity which can substantially influence thermoset flow, as well as cause other processing problems, such as blistering or decrease in hot strength, is moisture (1). Moisture content of 2% or less can often cause a several-fold change in moldability. Hence, rapid moisture evaluation and subsequent drying of thermoset resins before molding is vital.