KINETIC-STUDY OF THE CROSS-LINKING REACTION OF FLEXIBLE BISMALEIMIDES

A series of flexible maleimide-terminated oligoterephthalates with polymerization degree 1≤Xn≤22 have been used as models for the study of bismaleimide crosslinking reactions. Thermal- and initiator-induced polymerizations have been carried out and monitored by differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) for the set of bismaleimides. Kinetic parameters could be obtained by either dynamic or isothermal methods. The results of these experiments are consistent with an overall first-order reaction for the maleimide double bond polymerization, regardless of the length of the imide end-capped oligomers. Activation energies in the range 133-140 kJ mol-1 and pre-exponential factors A ≈ 1016 min-1 were calculated for the initiator-induced reactions. © 1990.