curing: a standalone construct

In polymer science, curing is the irreversible hardening of a thermoset: heat, light, or a hardener drives chemical crosslinks between polymer chains until the whole mass becomes one network that no longer melts or flows. Flory's Principles of polymer chemistry gives the theory of this gelation, the point at which crosslinking first spans the sample and the material passes from a viscous liquid to a solid gel. The referent is the degree and progress of network formation, with recovery not in play, and it is a different construct from preserving a ham or hardening concrete even though all three go by the word cure. Note: the word cure for drying and hardening materials long predates this theory; Flory is simply the oldest scholarly source cited here.[1]

Unit

The degree of crosslinking, from liquid resin to a set network

Recovery means

Not applicable

Measured by

Followed by the gel point, degree of cure from reaction heat, and the rise in modulus and glass transition temperature