Polyglycidyl ethers of branched novolacs

Claim 1

An epoxy novolac consisting at least partially of a monomeric, polynuclear polyglycidyl ether of the formula: ##STR10## wherein: R is H or CH 3 , R 1 is H, a C 1 -C 20 alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aralkyl, aralkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, alkenylaryl, alkoxy or alkenyloxy group or a halo or nitro group, independently in each occurrence, R 2 is H or OH, independently in each occurrence, J is H, an R 1 group as above-defined or is a fourth ##STR11## group, and Q is the residue of a poly(methylol and/or alkoxy) difunctional phenol of either of the following formulas: ##STR12## in which R 4 is defined as is R 1 above, x is 3 or 4, n is 0 or 1, y is 1 or 2, --Z-- is a valence bond, a C 1 -C 4 alkylene or alkenylene group, or a ═C(CF 3 ) 2 , --CO--, --O--, --S--, --SO-- or --SO 2 -- group and R 3 --independently in each occurrence is H or a C 1 -C 30 alkyl, aralkyl or cycloalkyl group, the balance, if any, of said novolac consisting of oligomeric species deriveable from the acid-catalyzed reaction of a methylol- or methoxymethyl-reactive phenol of the formula ##STR13## with a poly(methylol and/or alkoxymethyl)difunctional phenol, R 1 , R 2 and the latter difunctional phenol being as defined earlier in this claim.