Addition-cure-type phenolic resin based on alder-ene reaction: Synthesis and laminate composite properties

Abstract

A maleimide-functional phenolic resin was reactively blended with an allyl-functional novolac in varying proportions. The two polymers were coreacted by an addition mechanism through Alder-ene and Wagner–Jauregg reactions to form a crosslinked network system. The cure characterization was done by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The system underwent a multistep curing process over a temperature range of 110–270°C. Although the cure profiles were independent of the composition, the presence of maleimide led to a reduced isothermal gel time of the blend. Increasing the allylphenol content decreased the crosslinking in the cured matrix, leading to enhanced toughness and improved resin-dominant mechanical properties of the resultant silica laminate composites. Changing the reinforcement from silica to glass resulted in further amelioration of the resin-reinforcement interaction, but the resin-dominant properties of the composite remained unaltered. Increasing the maleimide content resulted in enhanced thermal stability. Integrating both the reactive groups in a single polymer and its curing led to enhanced thermal stability and Tg, but to decreased mechanical properties of the laminate composites. This can be attributed to a brittle matrix resulting from enhanced crosslinking facilitated by interaction of the reactive groups located on the polymer of an identical backbone structure. The cured polymers showed a Tg in the range of 170–190°C. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 737–749, 2001