In order to elucidate the reaction of epoxy resin with aliphatic tertiary alkylamines,the bulk polymerization of phenyl glycidyl ether,a model compound of epoxy resin,by the aliphatic tertiary alkylamines was investigated kinetically in the absence of solvent at the temperature range of 40-120°C as the autocatalyzed reaction.
The rate constants of these reaction were as in the following order N,N-dimethylalkylamine>N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine>N,N-dimethylbenzylamine>N,N-diethylalkylamine>N,N-dipropylalkylamine.
On the N, N-dimethylalkylamine systems,the rate constants were a little affected on the value of pKa for the amines.
The activation energies of these reactions were found 13.5-14.5 Kcal/mol for the N,N-dimethyl-alkylamines, 12.11 Kcal/mol for the N, N-dimethylcyclohexylamine,11.78 Kcal/mol for the N,N-dimethylbenzylamine and 3-9 Kcal/mol for the N,N-diethylalkylamines, respectively.
N, N-diethylbenzylamine and N,N-dipropylbutylamine did not react with phenyl glycidyl ether in these experimental conditions.
From these results, it is concluded that the effect of steric hindrance of aliphatic tertiary alkylamines on the bulk polymerization might be large.
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