Functionalized N‐(4‐hydroxy phenyl) maleimide monomers: Kinetics of thermal polymerization and degradation using model‐free approach

Abstract

ABSTRACTN‐(4‐Hydroxy phenyl) maleimide (HPMI) is prepared and is functionalized with acryloyl, methacryloyl, allyl, propargyl, and cyanate groups. The structural and thermal characterizations of the materials are done using FTIR, NMR, DSC, and TGA. Curing and degradation kinetics are performed using Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Vyazovkin, and Friedman methods. Activation energies (Ea) for the polymerization of the synthesized monomers varied and are dependent on the nature of the functional group present in HPMI. The propargyl functionalized monomer shows the highest Ea values whereas the methacryloyl functionalized monomer shows the lowest Ea values. In the case of thermal degradation of the polymerized materials, the apparent Ea values for acryloyl, methacryloyl and cyanate functionalized materials are slightly higher than that of poly‐HPMI (PHPMI). The thermally cured allyl and propargyl functionalized materials show a different trend and may be attributed to the complications arising due to Claisen rearrangement reaction during the thermal curing. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39935.