Mesogenic epoxy compounds

A phenoxy resin composition prepared by reacting (A) one or more epoxy resins containing one or more rodlike mesogenic moieties represented by either the following Formula I ##STR52## wherein at least about 80 percent of the -(Z.sup.1 -Z.sup.2).sub.n -Z.sup.1 - linkages and the glycidyl ether groups are in the para position with respect to each other;

• each R and R.sup.1 is independently hydrogen or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms;
• each X is independently hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbyloxy group having from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, --NO.sub.2, or --C.tbd.N;
• each Z.sup.1 is independently --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.N--N.dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --CO--O--CH.sub.2 --, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --CO--O--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --, --CH.sub.2 --O--CO--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --O--CO--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --CO-- O--, --O--CO--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CO--NR.sup.1 --, --NR.sup.1 --CO--, --CO--NR.sup.1 --NR.sup.1 --CO--, --C.tbd.C--, --C.tbd.C--C.tbd.C--, --N.dbd.N--, --CO--S--, --S--CO--, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.N--, --N.dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CO--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --CO--, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --O--CO--CH.sub.2 --, --CH.sub.2 --CO--O--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --O--CO--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --, --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --CO--O--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --CO--O--, --O--CO--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --, --CO--O--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --, --CR.sup.1 .dbd.CR.sup.1 --O--CO--, --O--CO--, --CO--O--, ##STR53## Z.sup.2 is a group represented by a cyclic or bicyclic ring system containing from 5 to about 12 carbon atoms which is cycloaliphatic, polycycloaliphatic, aromatic or a combination thereof;
• n is 0 to 2;
• each Z' is independently a --CO--, --O--CO--, --CO--O--, --CO--NR.sup.1 --, or --NR.sup.1 --CO-- group and each n' independently has a value of zero or one;
• or the following Formula II ##STR54## wherein Z.sup.3 is ##STR55## and Z.sup.4 is --CO--O--, --O--CO--, --NR.sup.1 --CO-- or --CO--NR.sup.1 --;
• X.sup.1 is a divalent hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms which can contain one or more heteroatoms selected from N, O or S which is saturated or unsaturated;
• with (B) at least one compound having an average of more than one active hydrogen atom per molecule;
• wherein components (A) and (B) are employed in amounts which provide a ratio of active hydrogen atoms per epoxide group of from about 0.96:1 to about 1.05:1:
• with the proviso that (a) the phenoxy resin composition can not be the phenoxy resin resulting from component (A) being the diglycidyl ether of 1,4-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane and component (B) being 1,4-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane;
• and (b) the phenoxy resin composition can not be the phenoxy resin resulting from component (A) being the diglycidyl ether of a compound represented by Formula I wherein n is zero and Z.sup.1 is --CR.sup.1 .dbd.N-- or --N.dbd.CR.sup.1 -- and component (B) is a compound which does not contain a mesogenic moiety.