CURING KINETICS OF LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE EPOXY-RESINS

By endcapping mesogenic rigid rod molecules with reactive epoxy groups a novel class of liquid-crystalline thermoset has been obtained. In f act is has been shown that the nematic molecular arrangement is sustai ned over the crosslinking reaction of liquid-crystalline epoxy resins when the curing reaction is carried out in the thermal stability range of the liquid-crystalline phase. Calorimetric analysis was used in ch aracterizing the isothermal cure. An unsophisticated model is proposed for evaluating the activation energies of the crosslinking reaction. For liquid-crystalline epoxy resins lower activation energies result w ith respect to the cure reactions for non liquid-crystalline epoxy res ins.