Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance as a Versatile Tool To Identify the Main Chemical Components of Epoxy-Based Thermosets

Cross-linked thermosets are investigated by C-13 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine their structure and to distinguish important epoxy resins and hardening agents. In addition to the epoxy resin and hardening agent, the identification of phosphorus-containing flame retardants is demonstrated by P-31 solid-state NMR. These studies provide a spectral database for routine use, which is finally applied to analyze commercial products containing an unknown multicomponent system.