The crosslinking of epoxy resins at interfaces. I. Germanium, germanium dioxide, and silane‐treated germanium

The chemical changes that accompany the crosslinking of an epoxy resin by an anhydride curing agent were followed by internal reflection spectroscopy (IRS). The crosslinking process was carried out on the surface of a germanium IRS element and the effects of various surface treatments of the germanium (humid aging, oxidation, and silane coating) on the reaction kinetics were examined. The reaction kinetics in the first 3000–4000 Å of the resin adjacent to dry, freshly polished germanium were similar to the reaction kinetics in the bulk of the resin. However, humid aging or oxidation of the germanium surface produced a local acceleration in the rate of anhydride consumption and reduced the yield of ester products. The aminosilane coating accelerated the consumption of anhydride, decreased the yield of ester, and resulted in the formation of amide groups in the interfacial region.