Strain Recovery Behavior Of Post-Yield Deformed Epoxy Resins: Effect Of The Resin/Hardener Ratio

The effect of the resin/hardener ratio on the strain recovery kinetics of various post-yield deformed epoxy resins is investigated in isothermal tests and in thermally stimulated recovery tests. Recovery is seen to take place following a two-stage process, in which the different stages can be distinguished on the time and temperature scales. These two recovery contributions are differently affected by the resin/hardener ratio and by the applied deformation.