Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.59, No.3, 473-481, 1996
Poly(2,6-Dimethyl-1,4-Phenylene Ether) (PPO(R)) Capping and Its Significance in the Preparation of PPO(R)/Epoxy Laminate
The thermal expansion property at 288 degrees C of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPO(R))/epoxy laminate was found to be affected by the PPO/epoxy copolymer content in the laminate. Capping of redistributed PPO with epoxide-containing reagents such as Araldite(R) EPN 1138 and an "upstaged" resin was readily accomplished with tetraethylammonium hydroxide or N,N-dimethylaminopyridine as the catalyst during the varnish preparation step. The resulting PPO/epoxy laminate maintained the nonlofting property despite the presence of phenolic hardener (curing accelerator) and antimony pentoxide (flame retardant) in the formulation.