ALLYLAMINE-ADDUCTED BISMALEIMIDE RESINS .1. THE CURING REACTIONS

A variety of allylamine-adducted bismaleimide (A-BMI) resins were prep ared by reacting bismaleimide (BMI), such as 4,4'-bismaleimidodiphenyl methane (BDM) and 4,4'-bis-maleimidodiphenylether (BDE), with various molar ratio of allylamine through the Michael addition. The prepared A -BMI resins are a partial crystalline or completely amorphous solid, d epending on the amount of adducted allylamine. Two types of curing rea ctions for the A-BMI resins were detected by differential scanning cal ormetry and verified by the mass spectroscopies of cured resins: one i s the homopolymerization of A-BMI resins through opening of the double bonds in the maleimide groups; the other is the reactions between all yl groups and benzene rings, taking place mainly when most of the doub le bonds in maleimide groups of the A-BMI resins have been opened by a llylamines. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.