By using a new heat activated promoter to initiate the peroxide cures of polyester or vinyl ester based products, pultruders eliminate the need for shipping and storage of traditional, refrigerated initiators. However, full utilization of the new promoted initiator systems requires an understanding of how they compare to traditional initiator systems. This study compares promoted and traditional initiator systems' cure characteristics and mechanical properties. These properties were probed using process thermocouples, dielectric cure sensors, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Mechanical properties of the pultruded products produced via both initiator systems were evaluated based on flexural strength, short-beam shear strength, and Iosipescu shear strength. This study provides basic data to establish pultrusion processing parameters necessary to optimize the new promoted peroxide cure systems.
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