Abstract
Repairing old thermoset pieces could be an interesting challenge instead of replacing them by new ones. This repair procedure necessitates the following stages: adding fresh uncured resin in the place of the broken part of the thermoset piece, and curing the two parts in a heated mould. The process of cure is studied in the two parts of the thermoset piece and especially at their interface by placing emphasis on the heat transfer and state of cure. Of course a higher state of cure is obtained in the old part, leading to a heterogeneity in the system. Nevertheless, the mechanical properties in elongation ofthe two part-system are not so bad, being of the same order of magnitude as the old thermoset piece. The state of cure is evaluated in the curing system by taking into account the heat transfer by conduction through the resin and the kinetics of heat evolved during the cure reaction.