THE KINETICS OF POLYMERIZATION OF THE DIG LYCIDYL ETHER OF DIPHENYLOLPROPANE INITIATED BY A TERTIARY AMINE

The kinetics of polymerization of the diglycidyl ether of diphenylolpr opane initiated by dimethylbenzylamine was studied over a wide tempera ture range. A kinetic scheme is suggested which includes the steps of chain initiation, propagation, termination, and diffusion retardation due to vitrification of the system. The apparent rate constants and ac tivation energies of the corresponding reactions are estimated. It was shown that diffusion retardation cannot be described within the frame work of the approach developed for polycondensation. The reasons for a different mechanism of the formation of cross-linked polymers via pol ycondensation and polymerization processes accompanied by vitrificatio n are discussed. The increase in average molecular mass is shown to pr oceed during the process more slowly than predicted, and the experimen tal gel point is shifted markedly to conversions higher than those pre dicted theoretically. This appears to be caused by intramolecular cycl ization.