The effect of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) on the polymerization kinetics of bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether/1,4-bis(3-aminopropoxy)butane was elucidated by means of dynamic and isothermal differential scanning calorimetry. Comparing the results of total reaction enthalpy and glass-transition temperature measurements for the neat epoxy and epoxy composite containing different mass fractions of MWCNT allowed the optimum formulation to be found as w(MWCNT) = 0.05. Various kinetic models such as n-th-order, Kamal, and S ˇ esta´k–Berggren equations were used to estimate the kinetic parameters. We found that the curing reaction obeys an autocatalytic mechanism. Based on the results obtained from experimental and calculated reaction rates it was recognized that the model of S ˇ esta´k–Berggren is the best choice to interpret bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether/1,4-bis(3-aminopropoxy)butane/MWCNT cure. The dispersion of the nanotubes was subjected to X-ray diffraction measurements, and the results exhibited a welldispersed matrix of epoxy and MWCNT with an amorphous structure.
