Three novel cycloaliphatic difunctional epoxides containing symmetric or asymmetric epoxycyclohexyl moieties linked with an ether bond or with a carbon-carbon bond

3

4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-2′

3′-epoxycyclohexyl ether (Ⅰ e)

bis(2

3-epoxycyclohexyl) ether (Ⅱ e)

and di(2

3-epoxycyclohexane) (Ⅲ e)

were synthesized by epoxidation of their corresponding dicycloolefin

respectively．Their precursor compounds

3-cyclohexene-1-methyl-2′-cyclohexene ether (Ⅰ)

bis(2-cyclohexenyl) ether (Ⅱ)

and di(2-cyclohexane) (Ⅲ) were also prepared．The structure of the three epoxides and cycloolefins was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy (IR)

elemental analysis (EA)

and 1H-NMR spectroscopy．To evaluate the thermal properties of the cycloaliphatic epoxy compounds

a commercial bicycloaliphatic epoxy

3

4一epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3′

4′-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate(marked name ERL-4221)was used for comparison．Three epoxides and ERL-4221 were cured with HMPA

and thermal properties of the cured polymers were examined by thermomechanical analysis

differential scanning calorimetry

and dynamicmechanical analysis．The cured polymers obtained from epoxy Ⅰ e

Ⅱ e and Ⅲ e showed higher glass transition temperature

higher storage modulus

and lower coefficient of thermal expansion than those of ERL-4221．