Аннотация
The kinetics of step polycondensation is described on the basis of the classical branching theory. A simple method is proposed for calculation of the average longest length (L) of the linear chain in a crosslinked molecule under arbitrary functionalities of original monomers. A viscosity of the system is represented as a product of a structure factor by a friction factor. The latter was taken as the Arrhenius exponent. The structure factor was chosen in the form of a power function of L. The method has been used for the approximation of the viscosity of phenol-formaldehyde resin in the course of curing by boron oxide. An activation energy of 11.8 kcal/mol was found by the method of a best matching of the structure factor for the different viscosity kinetic isotherms in the scale of a reduced time of the reaction. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 319–328, 1997