Copolymerization modification: improving the processability and thermal properties of phthalonitrile resins with novel comonomers

Two novel tetrahydrophthalic anhydride end‐capped imide compounds (THAN and THBN) with high thermal stability were synthesized to promote the curing reaction of 1,3‐bis(3,4‐dicyanophenoxy)benzene (3BOCN), and to study the effects of comonomer structure on the curing behavior and thermal performance of phthalonitrile resins. The curing behaviors of THAN/3BOCN and THBN/3BOCN blends with various molar ratios were investigated using rheological analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, suggesting a wide processing window. Dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the cured resins possessed high glass transition temperatures (> 500 °C), and superior thermal and long‐term thermo‐oxidative stabilities with weight retention of 95% ranging from about 544 to 558 °C in both nitrogen and air. All these results indicated that the processability and thermal properties of phthalonitrile resins could be improved further by modifying the structure of comonomer in this kind of curing system. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Condensation–addition‐type resole resins with phenyl ethynyl functions: Synthesis,characterization, and thermal properties

Novel phenolic resins bearing methylol and phenyl ethynyl functions and curing by both condensation and addition mechanisms were synthesized by the reaction of 3‐(phenyl ethynyl) phenol (PEP) with formaldehyde under alkaline conditions. Resins with varying relative concentration of the two functional groups were synthesized and characterized. The resins underwent a two‐stage cure, confirmed by both DSC and DMA analyses. The low‐temperature cure due to methylol condensation led to early gelation of the system. The ultimate curing through addition reaction of phenylethynyl group required heating at 275°C. The cured resins exhibited better thermal stability and anaerobic char yield in comparison to a conventional resole. The thermal stability and char‐yielding property showed a diminishing trend with enhanced methylol substitution. Resin with F/P ratio less than unity offered excellent thermal stability and anaerobic char yield. The thermal degradation of the cured resins occurred in two kinetic steps. Methylene groups favored the initial degradation, whereas the higher temperature carbonization process was independent of the network structure. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 3371–3377, 2001     

Activation energy and curing behavior of resol‐ and novolac‐type phenolic resins by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis

The thermal behavior, thermal degradation kinetics, and pyrolysis of resol and novolac phenolic resins with different curing conditions, as a function of the formaldehyde/phenol (F/P) molar ratio (1.3, 1.9, and 2.5 for the resol resins and 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 for the novolac resins) were investigated. The activation energy of the thermal reaction was studied with differential scanning calorimetry at five different heating rates (2, 5, 10, 20, and 40°C/min) between 50 and 300°C. The activation energy of the thermal decomposition was investigated with thermogravimetric analysis at five different heating rates (2, 5, 10, 20, and 40°C/min) from 30 to 800°C. The low molar ratio resins exhibited a higher activation energy than the high molar ratio resins in the curing process. This meant that less heat was needed to cure the high molar ratio resins. Therefore, the higher the molar ratio was, the lower the activation energy was of the reaction. As the thermal decomposition of the resol resins proceeded, the activation energy sharply decreased at first and then remained almost constant. The activation energy of the thermal decomposition for novolac resins with F/P = 0.5 or F/P = 0.7 was almost identical in all regions, whereas that for novolac resins with F/P = 0.9 gradually decreased as the reaction proceeded. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2589–2596, 2003     

Low dielectric thermoset. I. Synthesis and properties of novel 2,6‐dimethyl phenol‐dicyclopentadiene epoxy

A 2,6‐dimethyl phenol‐dicyclopentadiene novolac was synthesized from dicyclopentadiene and 2,6‐dimethyl phenol, and the resultant 2,6‐dimethyl phenol‐dicyclopentadiene novolac was epoxidized to 2,6‐dimethyl phenol‐dicyclopentadiene epoxy. The structures of novolac and epoxy were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and epoxy equivalent weight titration. The synthesized 2,6‐dimethyl phenol‐dicyclopentadiene epoxy was then cured with 4,4‐diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM), phenol novolac (PN), 4,4‐diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS), and 4,4‐diaminodiphenyl ether (DDE). Thermal properties of cured epoxy resins were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), dielectric analysis (DEA), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). These data were compared with those of the commercial bisphenol A epoxy system. Compared with the bisphenol A epoxy system, the cured 2,6‐dimethyl phenol‐ dicyclopentadiene epoxy resins exhibited lower dielectric constants (～3.0 at 1 MHz and 2.8 at 1 GHz), dissipation factors (～0.007 at 1 MHz and 0.004 at 1 GHz), glass transition temperatures (140–188°C), thermal stability (5% degradation temperature at 382–404°C), thermal expansion coefficients [50–60 ppm/°C before glass‐transition temperature (T_g)], and moisture absorption (0.9–1.1%), but higher modulus (～2 Gpa at 60°C). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2607–2613, 2003     

Engineering biomass into formaldehyde‐free phenolic resin for composite materials

The use of formaldehyde to prepare phenol‐formaldehyde (PF) resins is one of the primary challenges for the world‐wide PF industry with respect to both sustainability and human health. This study reports a novel one‐pot synthesis process for phenol‐5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (PHMF) resin as a formaldehyde‐free phenolic resin using phenol and glucose, and the curing of the phenolic resin with a green curing agent organosolv lignin (OL) or Kraft lignin (KL). Evidenced by ¹³C NMR, the curing mechanism involves alkylation reaction between the hydoxyalkyl groups of lignin and the ortho‐ and para‐carbon of PHMF phenolic hydroxyl group. The curing kinetics was studied using differential scanning calorimetry and the kinetic parameters were obtained. The OL/KL cured PHMF resins were tested in terms of thermal stability, and mechanical properties for their applications in fiberglass reinforced composite materials. The results obtained demonstrated that OL/KL can be promising curing agents for the PHMF resins. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 1275–1283, 2015     

Dielectric behavior and properties of a cyanate ester containing dicyclopentadiene. I

2,6‐Dimethyl phenol dicyclopentadiene dicyanate ester (DCPDCY) was synthesized through the reaction of 2,6‐dimethyl phenol dicyclopentadiene novolac and cyanogen bromide. The proposed structure was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, mass spectrometry, NMR spectrometry, and elemental analysis. DCPDCY was then cured by itself or cured with bisphenol A dicyanate ester (BADCY) to form triazine structures. The thermal properties of the cured DCPDCY resins were studied with differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), dielectric analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis; these data were compared with those of BADCY. The cured DCPDCY resins exhibited a lower dielectric constant (2.58 at 1 MHz), a lower dissipation factor (20.2 mU at 1 MHz), less thermal stability (the 5% degradation temperature and char yield were 430°C and 32.1%, respectively), a lower glass‐transition temperature (266°C by thermomechanical analysis and 271°C by DMA), a lower coefficient of thermal expansion (22.5 ppm before the glass‐transition temperature and 124.9 ppm after the glass‐transition temperature), and less moisture absorption (0.88% at 48 h) than BADCY, but they showed higher moduli (6.28 GPa at 150°C and 5.35 GPa at 150°C) than the bisphenol A system. The properties of the cured cocyanate esters (DCPDCY and BADCY) lay between those of cured BADCY and DCPDCY, except for the moduli. The moduli of some cocyanate esters were even higher than those of cured BADCY and DCPDCY. A positive deviation from the Fox equation was observed for cocyanate esters. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2079–2089, 2005     

Impact of curing condition on pH and alkalinity/acidity of structural wood adhesives

Nine formulations were selected for evaluating the effect of different curing methods on pH and alkalinity or acidity of various structural wood adhesives. These included four phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resins with high pH, one phenol–resorcinol–formaldehyde (PRF) resin with intermediate pH, two melamine–urea–formaldehyde (MUF) resins, and two melamine–formaldehyde (MF) resins with low pH. The four curing methods used in the study were: (1) curing at 102–105°C for 1 h (based on CSA O112.6‐1977), (2) four‐hour curing at 66°C followed by 1‐hour curing at 150°C (based on ASTM D1583‐01), (3) curing at room temperature overnight (based on ASTM D 1583‐01), and (4) cured adhesive squeezed out from glue lines of bonded shear block samples. The effect of the different methods on pH and alkalinity/acidity of the cured adhesive depended strongly on the individual adhesives. For the PF, the alkalinity was different for the different formulations in the liquid form, while in the cured form, the difference in the alkalinity depended on the curing method used. The MF and the MUF were the adhesives most affected by the method used. In particular, the MUF showed much higher cured film pH values when cured by method 2 compared to the other three methods, while both the cured MF and MUF exhibited quite variable acidity values when cured with the different methods. The PRF showed reasonably uniform cured film pH but varying acidity values when cured with the different methods. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Raman study of the microstructure changes of phenolic resin during pyrolysis

After curing, phenol‐formaldehyde resins were post‐cured at 160°C, and then carbonized and graphitized from 300°C to 2400°C. The structure of the resulting carbonized and graphitized resins were studied using X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Thermal fragmentation and condensation of the polymer structure occurred above 300°C. The crystal size of the cured phenolic resins increased with an increase in temperature. The crystal size increased from 0.997 nm to 1.085 nm when the heat‐treatment temperature rose from 160°C to 500°C. Above 600°C, the original resin structures disappeared completely. Below 1000°C, the stack size (L_c) increased very slowly. The values increased from 0.992 to 1.192 nm when the heattreatment temperature rose from 600°C to 1000°C. Above 1000°C, the stack size showed an increase with the increase in heat‐treatment temperature. The values increased from 1.192 to 2.366 nm when the temperature rose from 1000°C to 2400°C. The carbonized and graphitized resins were characterized using Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectrra were recorded between 700 and 2000 cm⁻¹. Below 400°C, there were no carbon structures in the Raman spectra analysis. Above 500°C, G and D bands appeared. Raman spectra confirmed progressive structure ordering as heat‐treatment temperature increased. The frequency of the G band of all carbonized and graphitized samples shifted to 1600 cm⁻¹ from the 1582 cm⁻¹ of graphite. At the same temperature, the D band shifted to 1330 cm⁻¹ from the 1357 cm⁻¹ of the imperfect carbon. In the curve fitting analysis of the Raman spectra, a Gaussian shaped band centered at 1165 cm⁻¹ was included. This band has not been described before in the literature and is attributed to disordered structures, which are formed from the original polymeric structures. These polymeric structures formed unknown disordered structures and remained in the carbonized phenolic resins. Above 1800°C, this band disappeared completely. But, a weak peak is present near 1620 cm⁻¹. This indicated that those disoriented molecules and some disordered carbons were removed as volatiles or repacked into the glassy carbon structures during graphitization. The carbonized and graphitized phenolic resins were found to correspond to low order sp² bonded carbon, but cannot be considered as truly glassy or amorphous carbon materials since they have some degree of order in the basal plane.     

Syntheses and cured films properties of UV-autocurable BTDA-based multiacrylate resins

A series of UV-autocurable 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid (BTAc)-based multiacrylate resins containing pendant glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) or glycidyl acrylate (GA) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were synthesized. The effects of the acrylic functional groups, the moles of GMA, and the molar ratio of HEMA/HEA on their properties were investigated. The prepared autocurable resins are cured rapidly when exposed to UV or sunlight radiation without addition of any photoinitiator or Photosensitizer and the acrylate-type resin resulted in a lower thermal curing temperature and a fast curing rate. Increasing the moles of GMA or the molar ratio of HEMA/HEA on reaction leads to a higher cross-linking density and resulted in film with a higher Young's modulus, breaking strength, and lower elongation. The methacrylate-type resin cured to a very hard, but brittle film with a higher Young's modulus and lower elongation. However, the acrylate-type resin cured to a hard tough film with a lower Young's modulus and higher elongation. The cured methacrylate-type resin results in a lower weight loss at temperature below 300°C due to a higher cross-linking density and lower residual weight percent at 600°C due to the lower percent of benzene rings in the resin. The film properties of the resins coated on steel plates were also investigated. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Properties of compression‐molded plates made from wood powders impregnated with liquefied wood‐based novolak‐type phenol‐formaldehyde resins

Novolak‐type phenol‐formaldehyde (PF) resins with solution form were prepared by reacting phenol‐liquefied Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) wood with formalin in the presence of methanol. Wood powders of Albizzia falcate (Malacca albizzia) impregnated with these resins were air dried followed by an oven‐dried at 60°C. DSC analysis showed the PF resin existing in wood powders could be melted, and could be cured if hexamine was mixed and heated at high temperature. Compression‐molded plates made with PF resin impregnated woods had a high degree of curing reaction. However, compression‐molded plates hot‐pressed at 180°C for 8 min or 200°C for 5 min had better internal bonding strength and dimensional stability than others. Premixing hexamine with PF resin and impregnating into wood powders simultaneously could enhance the reactivity of PF resin, but it was not useful for improving the properties of compression‐molded plates. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Microstructural changes of phenolic resin during pyrolysis

After curing, phenol‐formaldehyde resins were postcured at 230°C in air for 32 h and then carbonized and graphitized from 300 to 2400°C. Thermal fragmentation and condensation of the polymer structure occurred above 300°C. The crystal size of the cured phenolic resins decreased with the temperature increase. Above 600°C the original resin structures disappeared completely. Below 1000°C the stack size (L_c) and crystal size (L_a) were small. Above 1000°C the L_c increased with the increasing treatment temperature. The carbonized and graphitized resins were characterized using Raman spectroscopy. Below 400°C there were no carbon structures in the Raman spectra analysis. Above 500°C the G and D bands appeared. The frequency of the G band of all carbonized and graphitized samples shifted to 1600 cm^?1 from the 1582 cm^?1 of graphite. The D band shifted to 1330 cm^?1 from the 1357 cm^?1 of the imperfect carbon. The carbonized and graphitized phenolic resins could not be considered as truly glassy or amorphous carbon materials because they had some degree of order in the basal plane. However, the crystal size was very small even at 2400°C. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 1084–1089, 2001     

Preparation of silicon‐/phosphorous‐containing epoxy resins from the fusion process to bring a synergistic effect on improving the resins' thermal stability and flame retardancy

Epoxy resins containing both phosphorous and silicon were prepared via the fusion process of reacting a phosphorous diol and a silicon diol with a bisphenol‐A‐type epoxy. With various feeding ratios of the reactants, epoxy resins with different phosphorous and silicon contents were obtained. Through curing the epoxies with diaminodiphenylmethane, the cured epoxy resins exhibit tailored glass transition temperatures (159–77°C), good thermal stability (>320°C), and high char yields at 700°C under air atmosphere. The high char yield was demonstrated to come from the synergistic effect of phosphorous and silicon, where phosphorous enriches char formation and silicon protects the char from thermal degradation. Moreover, high flame retardancy of the epoxy resins was found by the high LOI value of 42.5. The relationship of the char yields at 700°C under air atmosphere (ρ) and the LOI values of the epoxy resins could be expressed as LOI = 0.62ρ + 19.2. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 404–411, 2003     

Phenolic‐epoxy matrix curable by click chemistry—synthesis,curing, and syntactic foam composite properties

Alkyne functional phenolic resin was cured by azide functional epoxy resins making use of alkyne‐azide click reaction. For this, propargylated novolac (PN) was reacted with bisphenol A bisazide (BABA) and azido hydroxy propyloxy novolac (AHPN) leading to triazole‐linked phenolic‐epoxy networks. The click cure reaction was initiated at 40–65°C in presence of Cu₂I₂. Glass transition temperature (Tg) of the cured networks varied from 70°C to 75°C in the case of BABA‐PN and 75°C to 80°C in the case of AHPN‐PN. DSC and rheological studies revealed a single stage curing pattern for both the systems. The cured BABA‐PN and AHPN‐PN blends showed mass loss above 300°C because of decomposition of the triazole rings and the novolac backbone. Silica fiber‐reinforced syntactic foam composites derived from these resins possessed comparable mechanical properties and superior impact resistance vis‐a‐vis their phenolic resin analogues. The mechanical properties could be tuned by regulating the reactant stoichiometry. These low temperature addition curable resins are suited for light weight polymer composite for related applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41254.     

Star-shaped silicon-containing arylacetylene resin based on a one-pot synthesis using zinc powder catalysis with improved processing and thermal properties

Herein, reporting a simple, sustainable, and cost-effective chemical synthesis of a star-shaped silicon-containing arylacetylene (SSA) resin via a one-pot process using zinc powder as a catalyst. The as-prepared viscous liquid resins exhibited moderate rheological behavior. The thermal curing temperature was determined to be 203 °C using differential scanning calorimetry, which is much lower than that reported for polyimide and phthalonitrile (>300 °C), indicating the SSA resins are suitable for processing at a lower temperature. Thermogravimetric analysis also revealed the excellent thermal stability and extremely high carbon residue of the cured SSA resin (the temperature at 5% mass loss and residual yield at 800 °C under N₂ were 654 °C and 93%, respectively). The results showed the excellent processability and thermal stability of SSA resin. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48248.     

Influence of Resin Molecular Weight on Curing and Thermal Degradation of Plywood Made From Phenolic Prepreg Palm Veneers

The present work evaluates curing and the thermal behavior of different molecular weight phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins used to prepare PF prepreg oil palm stem veneers. The physical properties (solid contents, gelation time, pH, and viscosity) of PF resins were determined. The molecular weight of resins was characterized by gel permeation chromatography, whilst thermal properties were determined by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analyses. The average molecular weight of PF resins were 526 g/mole (low), 1889 g/mole (medium), and 5178 g/mole (control - commercial). Among the resins, medium (MMwPF) gives better thermal stability with a retained weight of 48.9% at 300°C. High (Commercial PF) had a low decomposition temperature (109.3°C) which occurred within 11 min. Both low (LMwPF) and MMwPF started to melt at ≥120°C. Based on strength and shear values, phenolic prepreg palm veneers can be prepared using either low or medium molecular weight PF but with varying results. In all cases, the mechanical properties of palm plywood made from PF prepreg veneers were superior to those made from PF-bonded plywood using the commercial process.     

Synthesis and characterization of asymmetric bismaleimide oligomers with improved processability and thermal/mechanical properties

Novel asymmetric bismaleimide (BMI) oligomers with different molecular weights and dianhydrides were designed and synthesized by 3,4′‐oxydianiline (3,4′‐ODA), 2,3,3′,4′‐oxydiphthalic dianhydride (a‐ODPA), and 2,3,3′,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a‐BPDA). The chemical structures of BMI oligomers were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). X‐ray diffraction (XRD) exhibited broad peaks, suggesting amorphous structures. Heat flow curves of oligomers measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) displayed wide processing window due to low glass transition temperatures (T_g). BMI oligomers exhibited high solubility in common organic solvents. Particularly, the OD‐BMI‐1 oligomer exhibited excellent solubility of more than 50 wt% in DMAc solvent. T_g value and minimum complex viscosity of OD‐BMI‐1 oligomer were only 121 °C and 8.1 Pa · s, respectively. The cured BMI resins possess high thermal and thermal‐oxidative stability. The T_g and the temperature of 5% weight loss in nitrogen were above 256 and 449 °C, respectively, and the residual weight percentages at 800 °C were all >49%. Moreover, films made of BMI resins exhibited excellent mechanical properties flexibility, as confirmed by photograph and DMA results of films. The elongation at break of the prepared films was found to be high (almost >9.6%). POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:2265–2272, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis and characterization of epoxy film cured with phosphorous‐containing phenolic resin

Through the electrophilic addition reaction of ? P(O)? H and C?C, a series of novel phosphorus‐containing phenolic resins bearing maleimide (P‐PMFs) were synthesized and used as curing agent for preparing high performance and flame retardancy epoxy resins. The structure of the resin was confirmed with FTIR and elemental analysis. Thermal properties and thermal degradation behaviors of the thermosetted resin was investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The epoxy resins exhibited high glass transition temperature (143–156°C), goof thermal stability (>330°C) and retardation on thermal degradation rates. High char yields (700°C, 52.9%) and high limited oxygen indices (30.6–34.8) were observed, indicating the resins' good flame retardance for the P‐PMFs/CNE cured resins. The developed resin may be used potentially as environmentally preferable products in electronic fields. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 3813–3817, 2007     

Chemische Untersuchungen zum Abbau vernetzter Phenol-Formaldehyd-Harze

In addition to pyrolysis and degradation with superheated steam the hydrogenolytic degradation of cured phenolic resins induced by hydrogen-donors has been investigated. Especially with 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (tetralin) a considerable amount of transferred hydrogen to the dispersed resin particles, involved with formation of naphthalene, has been observed at 400°C. With total maximal yields of 98 wt.-% (ref. to the initial amount of phenolic resin) of phenol, methyl phenols, and oligomerous phenolic degradation products a recovering of industrial phenolic resin wastes should be possible. Kinetic and scanning electron microscopic investigations are employed to give some mechanistic explanations involving the hydrogenolytic liquefaction of cured phenolic resins.     

Highly thermally stable novolac derivatives and their properties in epoxy composites

Two diazo‐coupling novolac derivative resins (carbonyl phenyl azo novolac resin and carbonyl phenol–biphenylene azo novolac resin) were used as flame retardants. The cured resins exhibited elevated glass‐transition temperatures from 115°C (blank) to 195 and 167°C, respectively. The char yield at 800°C was increased, which elaborated the effectiveness of flame retardancy with evaluated limiting oxygen indices around 36 to 40. This was mainly attributed to the increased crosslink densities and highly aromatic contents in the modified phenol novolac derivative resins, which exhibited higher thermal degradation energies. Furthermore, the more effective flame retardancy was expected because of the loss of nitrogen during combustion. Through the evaluation of the cooperative flame retardancy in the organic/inorganic hybrid with char yield and increasing limiting oxygen index percentage, the effects of the filler showed cooperative flame retardancy only with the appropriate addition and with a difference in the crosslinking densities. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Synthesis and properties of fluorinated biphenyl‐type epoxy resin

A novel fluorinated biphenyl‐type epoxy resin (FBE) was synthesized by epoxidation of a fluorinated biphenyl‐type phenolic resin, which was prepared by the condensation of 3‐trifluoromethylphenol and 4,4′‐bismethoxymethylbiphenyl catalyzed in the presence of strong Lewis acid. Resin blends mixed by FBE with phenolic resin as curing agent showed low melt viscosity (1.3–2.5 Pa s) at 120–122°C. Experimental results indicated that the cured fluorinated epoxy resins possess good thermal stability with 5% weight loss under 409–415°C, high glass‐transition temperature of 139–151°C (determined by dynamic mechanical analysis), and outstanding mechanical properties with flexural strength of 117–121 MPa as well as tensile strength of 71–72 MPa. The thermally cured fluorinated biphenyl‐type epoxy resin also showed good electrical insulation properties with volume resistivity of 0.5–0.8 × 10¹⁷ Ω cm and surface resistivity of 0.8–4.6 × 10¹⁶ Ω. The measured dielectric constants at 1 MHz were in the range of 3.8–4.1 and the measured dielectric dissipation factors (tan δ) were in the range of 3.6–3.8 × 10^?3. It was found that the fluorinated epoxy resins have improved dielectric properties, lower moisture adsorption, as well as better flame‐retardant properties compared with the corresponding commercial biphenyl‐type epoxy resins. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009