SYNTHESIS OF EPOXY-AMINE MULTIACRYLIC PREPOLYMERS BY REACTIVE EXTRUSION

Epoxy-amine multiacrylic prepolymers were prepared by reactive extrusi on using a onestep competitive reaction of diglycidyl ether of bisphen ol A (DGEBA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) with diamines. The techni cal and chemical limitations of the process were analyzed through a re active extrusion diagram. Diphenyl was used as a tracer for residence time distribution (RTD) studies. Extrusion parameter analysis showed t hat the reactions are kinetically controlled and that an increase in r eaction temperature leads to higher residence time and broader distrib utions. At constant temperature, we found a linear evolution of the av erage residence time ((t(m)) over bar) with kneading disk blocks and l eft-handed screw element length. The structure of the obtained oligome rs was analyzed using a conversion distribution concept. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.