Thermal characterization of para-tert-butylphenol formaldehyde epoxy-acrylic resin cured with reactive diluents

The thermal decomposition of para-tert-butylphenol formaldehyde epoxy-acryl ic resin as such or in the presence of reactive diluents based on glycidyl ethers of phenol and para-alkyl substituted phenols has been studied using pyrolysis in combination with gas chromatography and thermogravimetric tech niques. The samples analysed in the range of temperatures between 200 and 6 00 degrees C degrade statistically by a radical mechanism. The decompositio n reaction is strongly influenced by the nature of the analysed sample and temperature. The main decomposition is observed in the temperature range 13 0-370 degrees C, when methane, ethylene, ethane, benzene, ethyl and isoprop yl alcohols, anisole and phenol are yielded in important amounts. The therm ogravimetric analysis data show four or five decomposition stages with the apparent thermal stability of the resin/phenol-epoxy acrylate reactive dilu ent or resin/para-tert-butyl phenol epoxy-acrylate reactive diluent lower a s against that of the studied resin, and higher for the resin/para-nonylphe nol epoxy-acrylate systems. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.