Glass transition of an epoxy resin. A wideband dielectric investigation

The dynamics of an epoxy resin, poly(phenyl glycidyl ether-co-formaldehyde), has been investigated in the supercooled and glassy phases by wideband dielectric spectroscopy (10/sup -2/ to 3/spl times/10/sup 9/ Hz) and compared with that of the previously investigated epoxy resin, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A. The temperature evolution of the dynamics of the system is monitored through the characteristic parameters of the relaxations, namely the relaxation times, the relaxation strengths and the shape parameters. Two transition regions are revealed: the glass transition and the split between structural and fast secondary relaxation, where the onset of the structural relaxation is located also.