PHENOLIC MATERIALS VIA RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION - SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BISPHENOL-A BASED BENZOXAZINES AND THEIR POLYMERS

Compounds with bifunctional benzoxazine groups in their molecular stru ctures form cross-linked structures characteristic of phenolic materia ls through a ring-opening reaction mechanism. This family of compounds offers greater flexibility than conventional novolac or resole resins in terms of molecular design. It is also superior to conventional phe nolic resin in process control since it releases no by-product during curing reactions. The materials thus obtained exhibit excellent mechan ical integrity with glass transition temperatures over 200-degrees-C. The synthesis, composition, and structural analysis of precursors base d on bisphenol-A are discussed herein. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc .