Patent ID: 8859694

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of a cured epoxy resin composition comprising the steps of: a) providing a mixture consisting of an epoxy resin component, a curative component and an accelerator for said curative component wherein said curative component consists of a sufficient amount of an imidazole curative to provide imidazole curing of said epoxy resin composition at a temperature of 60° C.-80° C. wherein said imidazole curative reacts with said epoxy resin component during curing thereof, said accelerator for said curative component consisting of a sulfonamide that accelerates said imidazole curing at said temperature of 60° C.-80° C., said sulfonamide being selected from the group consisting of N-methyl toluenesulfonamide, N-ethyl toluenesulfonanmide, methanesulfonamide, benzenesulfonamide, N-butylbenzenesulfonamide, p-chlorobenzenesulfonamide, o-toluenesulfonamide, p-toluenesulfonamide, bis(hydroxyethyl)-toluenesulfonamide and combinations thereof and wherein said imidazole curative consists of a latent imidazole curative having the formula wherein R 1 is C 6 to C 24 saturated or unsaturated straight or branched chain alkyl or cycloaliphatic group or may with R 5 form a ring; R 2 is H 1 , C 1 to C 18 alkyl, aryl or substituted aryl; R 3 and R 4 are the same or different and are H 1 , C 1 -C 3 alkyl, aryl or substituted aryl, —CH 2 OH, —CN, —Cl or together may form a ring; R 5 is H or together with R 1 forms a non-aromatic ring; R 6 is OH; and b) imidazole curing said mixture with said imidazole curative at said temperature of 60° C.-80° C. wherein said imidazole curing is accelerated by said sulfonamide.