Gelation study of high processability and high reliability ternary systems based on benzoxazine, epoxy, and phenolic resins for an application as electronic packaging materials

 Fourier transform mechanical spectroscopy technique (FTMS) is utilized as a powerful tool to study the sol-gel transition of covalent bonded polymeric network. Winter and Chambon criteria resulting from the fractal-geometry characteristic of the gel networks allow the determination of the gel point with only single experiment using this technique. The gelation behaviors of low melt viscosity ternary systems of benzoxazine, epoxy, and phenolic resins are investigated and analyzed by the technique in order to study the effect of epoxy diluent on the rheological property development before and after the gel points. The gel time at 140 °C ranges from 5 min to 30 min and less than 5 min at 180 °C for all tested ternary system compositions. The gelation of the ternary mixture shows an Arrhenius-type behavior and the gel time can be well-predicted by the Arrhenius equation. Received: 23 November 1999 Accepted: 2 January 2001