Abstract
The properties of bisphenol A epoxy resins containing bidentate cyclic carbonate oligomers cured with BF3 complexes by cationic polymerisation are presented. The effect of cyclic carbonate content on the gel time, peak exotherm temperature and degree of crosslinking of the epoxide-cyclic carbonate compositions were investigated. It was found that for the range of 0–30 wt. % the amount of energy released during crosslinking rises with increasing cyclic carbonate concentration. The reaction mechanism, and the reason for the higher enthalpy of polymerisation of epoxide-cyclic carbonate compositions in comparison with the epoxy resin, are discussed. The cured compositions exhibited good mechanical properties, especially the impact resistance and the tensile strength.
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