Nonisothermal curing kinetics of a novel polymer containing phenylsilylene and propargyl–hexafluorobisphenol a units

A novel thermosetting polymer, poly(phenylsilylene) propargyl–hexafluorobisphenol A] (PBAFS), with a new structure was synthesized. The structure of PBAFS and its cured resins were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra. During curing, a hydrosilylation reaction may occur between Si? H and C?C bonds and a Claisen rearrangement reaction of aryl propargyl ether led to formation of chromene, which immediately preceded polymerization on heating. The dynamic viscosity behavior was investigated by rheological experiment. Thermal stability of the cured PBAFS was also measured by Thermogravimetric analysis. The curing behavior of PBAFS was monitored by nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry at different heating rates. The kinetic parameters and the kinetic model of the cure reaction were evaluated by Kissinger, Ozawa, and Friedman methods. The cure reaction of PBAFS was found nth‐order in nature and the prediction curves by Friedman method for nonisothermal curing reaction were in good agreement with the experimental curves. The isothermal curing time of PBAFS were predicted by Vyazovkin and model‐fitting methods from the nonisothermal kinetic parameters. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013