HEAT-RESISTANCE OF METAL-CONTAINING EPOXY CHELATE POLYMERS

Epoxy chelate metal-containing polymers have been produced by means of the hardening of diglycidyl bis-phenol A ether with metal chelates and aliphatic amines. The influence of structure and quantity of hardener on the heat resistance of the polymers has been studied. The nature of the metal has been found to affect the rate of thermal oxidative degradation. The loss in weight of metal-containing polymers as a result of thermal treatment in air under isothermal conditions is a function of ionic radius of the metal and is minimal in the range 0.70-0.78 angstrom. The observed linear dependence of weight loss of the polymer on the electron affinity of the metal atom is in agreement with Palm's theory of linear free energies.