Non -isothermal polymerization kinetics of N,N'-bismaleimide-4,4'-diphenylmethane (BMI)/barbituric acid (BTA) was investigated by using DSC. Comparable extents of Michael addition reaction estimated independently by a molecular probe, hydroquinone (HQ), and the deconvolution technique using the Haarhoff-Van der Linde (HVL) function were achieved. Both the model -fitting and model free methods were employed to determine the kinetic parameters for the polymerization of BMI/BTA. The kinetic parameters of the BMI/BTA system for the three distinct stages were determined by the model -free method with the aid of the deconvolution technique. The particle nucleation involved in the polymerization process was satisfactorily predicted by the nucleation Avrami-Erofeev models {f(alpha)= n(1 - alpha)[-In(1 - alpha)]((n-1)/n)} with n = 1.61 for Stage 1, n = 2.24 (Stage 2) and n = 2.77 (Stage 3). Micro gel particles (MPs) of BMI/BTA were generated during polymerization. The particle size (d, z -average) of MPs was measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The least -squares best -fitted d versus t profile attained is d =1 x 10(-4)t(3) -1.82 x 10(-2)t(2)+1.044t - 2.133 at 100 degrees C. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.