The curing behavior and thermal properties of bisphenol A type novolac epoxy resin (bisANER) with methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA) at an anhydride/epoxy group ratio of 0.85 was studied with Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetry. The results showed that the FTIR absorption intensity of anhydride and epoxide decreased during the curing reaction, and the absorption peak of ester appeared. The dynamic curing energies were determined as 48.5 and 54.1 kJ/mol with Kissinger and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods, respectively. DSC measurements showed that as higher is the curing temperature, higher is the glass transition. The thermal degradation of the cured bisANER/MHHPA network was identified as two steps: the breaking or detaching of -OH, -CH2-, -CH3, OC-O and C-O-C, etc., taking place between 300 and 450 C; and the carbonizing or oxidating of aromatic rings occurring above 450 C. The kinetics of the degradation reaction was studied with Coats-Redfern method showing a first-order process. In addition, vinyl cyclohexene dioxide (VCD) was employed as a reactive diluent for bisANER (VCD/bisANER = 1 : 2 w/w) and cured with MHHPA, and the obtained network had a higher T-g and a slight lower degradation temperature than the undiluted system. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.