Acceleration effects of 1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene with 2‐methylimidazole‐intercalated α‐zirconium phosphate as a latent thermal initiator in the reaction of glycidyl phenyl ether and hexahydro‐4‐methylphthalic anhydride

The catalytic effects of 1,5,7‐Triazabicyclo4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (TBD) with 2‐methylimidazole‐intercalated α‐zirconium phosphate (α‐ZrP?2MIm) in the reaction of glycidyl phenyl ether (GPE) and hexahydro‐4‐methylphthalic anhydride (MHHPA) were investigated. The reaction did not proceed within 1 h at 60 °C. On increasing the temperature to 100 °C, the conversion reached 93% for 1 h. Without the addition of TBD, the conversion was 67% at 100 °C for 1 h. Under storage conditions at 25 °C for 7 days, the conversion of GPE was only 18%. The curing behavior of 2,2‐bis(4‐glycidyloxyphenyl)propane (DGEBA) and MHHPA in the presence of TBD with α‐ZrP?2MIm was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry. The addition of TBD with α‐ZrP?2MIm as a latent thermal initiator, the storage stability was maintained and the reaction proceeded rapidly under heating conditions. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 2557–2561