THE 1ST STAGES OF AN EPOXY HOMOPOLYMERIZATION INITIATED BY PIPERIDINE

Reactions taking place in the phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE)-piperidine s ystem were followed by size exclusion chromatography using ultra-viole t detection at 254 nm. The first step was the addition of piperidine t o PGE to give a tertiary amino alcohol (TAA). This reaction took place by both catalytic (E = 50.7 kJ mol-1) and non-catalytic mechanisms. N o other reaction could be detected before the piperidine concentration was depleted. The reaction of PGE with TAA was followed at 120-degree s-C. The main product was a TAA-PGE addition compound, following a pse udo-first-order kinetic rate equation. After this reaction, the PGE ol igomerization takes place at room temperature.