Studies on the curing characteristics of Diglycidyl 4

5-Epoxycyclohexane 1

2-Dicar-boxylate with 2-Methylimidazol have been conducted by TBA and DSC. The whole curing process of this system proceeds in two crosslinking stages as indicted by the fact that the vitrification curve constructed from TBA data has the shape of the letter w. The increase of vitrification time after the first minimum at 80℃ implies the completion of the first crosslinking stage; the drop of vitrification time above 120℃ followed by the second minimum at 180℃ and the increase again after that

shows the comple-tion of the second stage. The limiting Tg for the first and the second crosslinking sta-ges were found to be 130℃ and 190℃ respectively. The reaction sequences accounted for these complicate curing characteristics are discussed.