Some aspects of the thermal degradation of epoxide resins. Part 1

This Note contains a review of previous work in the field of pyrolytic degradation of epoxide resins, and a description of the development of an instrument for this purpose, using the principle of gas chromatography. The method depends on the pyrolysis of the material using an electrically heated filament, the difficulties of this method are critically examined, and attempts to overcome them described. The pyrolytic degradation in a nitrogen atmosphere, of unhardened epoxide resin was investigated, likewise the degradation of resin hardened with 1:2 diamino ethane and triethylenetetramine, is described. An attempt has been made to explain, in terms of possible degradation reactions, the actual compounds detected in the pyrolytic break-down.