CATALYSIS AND KINETICS OF CYCLOTRIMERIZATION OF CYANATE ESTER RESIN SYSTEMS

The kinetics of cyclotrimerization and the thermal stability of bisphenol A-based cyanate ester resin systems were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetry. The bisphenol A dicyanate was cured with 4 phr nonylphenol and with the octoates of zinc and manganese, and cobalt acetylacetonate at concentrations ranging from 0 to 750 ppm metal. An empirical rate law was used to predict the cyanate concentration profiles. The observed reaction rate showed a first-order dependence on the initial metal concentration and a second-order dependence on the cyanate concentration in the kinetically controlled regime. For the uncatalyzed systems, the kinetics was described by a second-order autocatalytic model. The thermal stability of the network was found to be dependent on the catalyst concentration for the zinc catalysts. For the samples cured with manganese, no effect of concentration on the thermal stability was observed.