The kinetics of B-a and P-a type copolybenzoxazine via the ring opening process

Abstract

The structure of benzoxazines is similar to that of phenolic resin through thermal self-curing of the heterocyclic ring opening reaction that neither requires catalyst nor releases any condensation byproduct. These polybenzoxazine resins have several outstanding properties such as high thermal stability and high glass transition temperature. To better understand the curing kinetics of this copolybenzoxazine thermosetting resin, dynamic and isothermal differential scanning calorimetry measurements were performed. Three models, the Kissinger method, the Flynn-Wall-Osawa method, and the Kamal method, were used to describe the curing process. Dynamic kinetic activation energies based on Kissinger and Flynn-Wall-Osawa methods are 72.11 and 84.06 KJ/mol, respectively. The Kamal method based on an autocatalytic model results in a total order of reaction between 2.66 and 3.03, depending on curing temperature. Its activation energy and Arrhenius preexponential are 50.3 KJ/mol and 7959, respectively. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.