Effect of organoclay on the curing reactions in bismaleimide/diallyl bisphenol a resin

4,4'-Bismaleimidodiphenyl methane (BMPM)/2,2'-diallyl bisphenol A (DBA)/organoclay nanocomposites were synthesized. The effects of organoclays on the curing reactions in the BMPM/DBA system at low temperatures (ene reaction) and high temperatures (Diels-Alder reaction, homopolymerization of BMPM, and alternative copolymerization) were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared techniques. The results showed that these reactions were affected to different extents in the presence of organoclays. The ene reaction was accelerated to different degrees depending on the acidity of the modifier and the accessibility of the organoclays used. The exfoliation degree of organoclays in the prepolymers showed great effects on the curing behavior of BMPM/DBA. When an organoclay was less intercalated, the curing behavior of the system was different from that of neat BMPM/DBA. On the other hand, when the organoclay was better exfoliated in prepolymers, the curing behavior of the system was similar to that of the neat BMPM/DBA system. However, even in this case, the reactions at high temperatures occurred in different ways in the presence of an organoclay. (C) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.