SYNTHESIS OF TRIDIMENSIONAL POLYMERS BY THE COPOLYMERIZATION OF PHENYLGLYCIDYLETHER WITH AROMATIC DIGLYCIDYLETHERS

Copolymers from phenylglycidylether and several aromatic diglycidyleth ers are prepared using different ratios of difunctional comonomers and the AIP/ZnCl2 initiator system. It is found that the percentage of in corporated comonomer depends on the nature of the aromatic moiety intr oduced. The copolymers are characterized by C-13-NMR spectroscopy and turn out to be completely regular and with a high degree of isotactici ty (about 80%) that confirms the high degree of regio- and stereoselec tivity of the initiator system used. The thermal characteristics of co polymer networks are investigated using differential scanning calorime try and thermogravimetry. Two fusion endotherms are observed which var y with the degree of crosslinking. By thermogravimetric analyses the t hermal stability is found to increase when the crosslinking degree doe s. (C) 1994 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.