Reduced graphene oxide catalytically enhances the rate of cyanate ester curing under variable frequency microwave heating

The curing of Lonza Primaset PT‐30 novolac cyanate ester resin and EPON 826 bisphenol‐A diglycidyl ether were investigated using convective thermal heating and variable frequency microwave (VFM) heating. The addition of 1 part per hundred reduced graphene oxide (r‐GO) to PT‐30 novolac cyanate ester increased the VFM cure rate compared to thermal heating. Curing it at 160°C for 240 min with VFM heating resulted in a 55% degree of cure compared to a 26% degree of cure with thermal heating. This observed VFM rate enhancement is due to selective microwave heating of the r‐GO particles in the resin resulting in increased r‐GO catalytic activity toward cyanate ester curing. It is both a thermal and catalytic effect, the latter of which is absent when r‐GO is added to a bisphenol‐A diglycidyl ether resin with o ‐phenylenediamine hardener. Impurities present in the PT‐30 matrix do not appear to contribute to its overall cure kinetics, nor do they participate in the observed VFM rate enhancement.