The kinetics of the epoxy-amine (diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and polypropylene oxide diamine D-400) reaction was studied with or without a liquid crystal additive (E7) using different concentrations. The neat system was found to obey the second-order kinetic model fairly well with a reactivity ratio n, i.e. the ratio of the rate constants for primary to secondary amines, equal to 1. The conversion at the gel point, x(gel), was found at the theoretical value 0.57 for such a system (diepoxide-aliphatic diamine). In contrast, the rate of the epoxy-amine reaction underwent a dramatic decrease upon addition of the liquid crystal. This retarding effect is not only due to the dilution effect. In addition, the gel point was always observed at a higher conversion than for the neat matrix (x(gel) greater than or equal to 0.60), implying that the reactivity ratio n is strongly decreased. We suggest reasons accounting for such a retarding effect in view of the interactions of the liquid crystal with the epoxy-amine reaction mechanism or intramolecular reactions. After curing in a homogeneous phase (100 degrees C), the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal systems were cooled down, which induced the phase separation of the liquid crystal-rich phase.