Curing of epoxy resins with amines

Summary Using determination of the critical molar ratio of functional groups necessary for gel formation with amino groups in excess, network formation was investigated in the reaction of diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol A (DGEBA) and nitrogen-containing epoxy resins — diglycidylaniline and N,N,N,N-tetraglycidyl-4,4-diaminodiphenylmethane with aromatic or aliphatic amines. It was found that in the case of nitrogen-containing epoxides the crosslinking is accompanied by pronounced cyclization, unlike in systems with DGEBA. Gelation depends on the relative reactivity of the primary and secondary hydrogen atom of the amino group. In the case of nitrogen-containing polyepoxides, the dependence of reactivities of adjacent glycidyl groups is also operative.