In the present work, water sorption behaviors at different temperatures ranging from 20 to 80
C weremonitored in a model Novolac cured epoxy resin (EP)
and its esterfied ramifications (with CH
3COO,CH
3CH
2CH
2COO,
and C
6H
5CH
2COO side groups referred to as EPA, EPB,
and EPP, respectively). In
light of gravimetric measurements
and positron annihilation
lifetime spectroscopy, a sorption mechanismwas estab
lished, which suggested that the equi
librium water content was thermodynamically controlled,while the diffusion process was kinetically controlled. The driving force of the diffusion resulted inenergy released by the hydrogen bonds, whereas the transportation rate was essentially subject to thelocal-chain mobi
lity as well as the dissociation of water molecules from the epoxy network. To verifythis model, dynamic mechanical analysis
and time-resolved attenuated total reflection Fourier transforminfrared spectroscopy experiments were employed. With genera
lized two-dimensional correlation analysis,the results obtained from IR spectra were consistent with the mechanism proposed.