CURING KINETICS OF LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE EPOXY-RESINS

By endcapping mesogenic rigid rod mols. with reactive epoxy groups a novel class of liq.-cryst. thermosets was obtained. The nematic mol. arrangement is sustained over the crosslinking reaction of liq.-cryst. epoxy resins when the curing reaction is carried out in the thermal stability range of the liq.-cryst. phase. Calorimetric anal. was used characterizing the isothermal cure. An unsophisticated model is proposed for evaluating the activation energies of the crosslinking reaction. The calcd. activated energies are reduced if the polymer is crosslinked in the nematic phase.