REACTIVE MOLECULAR DYNAMICS OF THE EPOXY RING-OPENING IN POLYAMINE REACTIONS

The molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the epoxy ring-opening in the determination of kinetic parameters, with a temperature range from 1500 to 2500 K in a 20 x 20 x 20 Å unit cell containing 15 molecules of C2H4O (ethylene oxide) and 35 molecules of CH6N2 (methanediamine). The activation energy values for epoxy and diamine was 66 and 92 kJ mol-1, respectively. The simulation showed epoxy ring breakage in some of the molecules, but mainly the release of ammonia by diamine. It was observed that the activation energy involved in diamine consumption for ammonia formation is higher than for the epoxy ring opening. The results of the epoxy ring-opening study show that the polymerization occurs slowly, which leads to high computational simulation values.