Kinetics and mechanism of esterification of epoxy resin in presence of triphenylphosphine

The kinetics of esterification of bisphenol-A based epoxy resin with acrylic acid in presence of triphenylphosphine has been studied. The reaction exhibits a first-order rate dependence with respect to [Epoxy] and [Catalyst]. A first-order dependence of rate with respect to [Acid] has been observed during a particular kinetic run. However, a retarding effect of [Acid] on the rate has been observed by increasing the initial concentration of acid. A suitable mechanism consistent with the kinetic data is proposed and discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 280–285, 2004