greater than 3.8 to 11, heating the reaction mixture to a tem› perature of about 120° C. to about 165° C. and substantially completing reaction of arylhydroxy monomer in the reaction mixture. 

In yet another aspect of this invention, the triazine-phenol- aldehyde condensate as described herein, either alone or in admixture with another epoxy curing agent and/or another fire-retardant, may be used as a fire-retardant curing agent for epoxy resins. 

In another aspect, a prepreg of a porous substrate is pro- vided and includes a curable epoxy resin and a condensate of a reaction mixture a triazine monomer, an arylhydroxy mono› mer, an aldehyde monomer and an acid catalyst having a pKa of greater than 3.8 as the curing agent alone or in combination with another curing agent. 

In another aspect, a laminate is provided including one or more prepregs impregnated with an epoxy resin and a con› densate of a reaction mixture a triazine monomer, a phenol monomer, an aldehyde monomer and an acid catalyst having a pKa of greater than 3.8 alone or together with another curing agent wherein the epoxy resin composition is cured. 

In another aspect, a glycidylated triazine-phenol-aldehyde condensate is provided in a reaction mixture, wherein the condensate prior to glycidylation is a reaction mixture com› prising a triazine monomer, a phenol monomer, an aldehyde monomer and an acid catalyst having a pKa value range from greater than 3.8, and comprises up to about 28 wt. % of nitrogen, a melt viscosity of less than 3,000 cps at 175° C., and a solubility of up to about 80 wt. % solids dissolved for 120 hours or greater in one or more organic solvents having one or more functionalities selected from the group consist› ing of an ether functionality, a ketone functionality, an alcohol functionality, an ester functionality, and combinations thereof. 

In another aspect, a composition suitable for electronic applications is provided and includes an epoxy resin wherein for each 100 parts of epoxy resin the composition contains about 0-30 parts of a phenolic-formaldehyde novolac, option› ally an epoxy curing accelerator, and about 30 to 60 parts of a triazine-phenol-aldehyde condensate in a reaction mixture comprising a triazine monomer, a phenol monomer, an alde› hyde monomer, and an acid catalyst having a pKa value range from greater than 3.8 to about 11, wherein the triazine-phe› nol-aldehyde condensate and comprises up to about 28 wt.% of nitrogen, a melt viscosity ofless than 3,000 cps at 175° C., and a solubility of up to at least about 80 wt. % solids dis› solved for 120 hours or greater in one or more organic sol› vents having one or more functionalities selected from the group consisting of an ether functionality, a ketone function› ality, an alcohol functionality, an ester functionality, and com› binations thereof. 

In another aspect, a method for the preparation of a con› densate product is provided and includes charging to a reac› tion vessel to form a reaction mixture of a triazine monomer, about 3 to about 30 moles of a phenol monomer for each mole of triazine, an acid catalyst having a pKa from 6 to about 11, and from about 1 to about 6 moles of an aldehyde monomer for each mole oftriazine monomer, heating the reaction mix› ture at a temperature from about 165° C. to about 180° C., removing the phenol monomer and any water from the reac- tion mixture, and steam sparging the reaction mixture. 

In another aspect, a method for the preparation of conden› sate product is provided and includes charging to a reaction vessel to form a reaction mixture of an aldehyde modified triazine monomer and about 3 to about 30 moles of a phenol monomer for each mole of aldehyde modified triazine mono› mer and heating the reaction mixture to a temperature of 

about 130° C. to about 180° C. and substantially completing reaction of phenol monomer in the reaction mixture. 

## DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 

Embodiments of the invention are directed to condensates, methods for making the condensates, and application of the condensates in epoxy resins, prepregs of porous substrates, and laminates. 

In one aspect, the present invention provides for a triazine› ary lhydroxy-aldehyde condensate, such as a triazine-phenol› aldehyde (T-P-A or TPA) condensate and processes for the preparation of the triazine-arylhydroxy-aldehyde conden- sate. The triazine-arylhydroxy-aldehyde condensate may be formed from a reaction mixture of a triazine monomer, an arylhydroxy monomer, and an aldehyde monomer, and an acid catalyst having a pKa of greater than 3.8. 

Through the choice of acid catalysts with a pKa value of greater than 3.8, the triazine-arylhydroxy-aldehyde conden› sates exhibit a viscosity range of3000 cps or less at 175° C., such as from about 200 cps to about 2000 cps, and contain from about 8 wt. % to about 28 wt. % nitrogen content, for example, from greater than about 10 wt. % to about 24 wt. % nitrogen content. The triazine-arylhydroxy-aldehyde con› densates described herein may be substantially free of water as further described herein and may have about 2 wt.% or less of free arylhydroxy monomer. 

Additionally, it was surprisingly and unexpectedly discov› ered that the triazine-arylhydroxy-aldehyde condensates formed by the components and processes described herein have improved solubility over those in the prior art. The triazine-arylhydroxy-aldehyde condensates described herein were observed to stay dissolved in an organic solvent at up to 80 wt. % solids (or higher) for at least 120 hours (5 days) before cloudiness set in, or precipitation, in the form of a white circle at the bottom of the vial, began. 

In particular, the triazine-arylhydroxy-aldehyde conden› sates described herein were observed to provide an improved solubility by dissolving completely in one or more organic solvents having one or more functionalities selected from the group of an ether functionality, a ketone functionality, an alcohol functionality, an ester functionality, and combina› tions thereof, of which a ketone functionality solvent, such as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) may be used. The condensates formed as described herein were observed to have a solubility from less than 10 wt.% solids up to 80 wt.% solids, such as from about 33 wt.% solids to about 75 wt.% solids, to give a transparent solution (no turbidity) for 120 hours or greater. Other condensates formed by the processes described herein were observed to have a solubility up to 80 wt.% solids (and sometimes greater) for at least 500 hours. 

In comparison, most of the condensates from prior art processes typically dissolve only up to 40 wt.% (solids) and in selected cases roughly about 60 wt. % in common solvents such as MEK. 

The processes for forming the condensates as described herein also allow for the production of the condensates in large reaction vessels with improved control over melt vis› cosity than the prior methods to produce similar condensates. 

In one aspect, the triazine-arylhydroxy-aldehyde conden› sate is formed from a reaction mixture of a triazine monomer, an arylhydroxy monomer, and an aldehyde monomer, and an acid catalyst having a pKa of greater than 3.8, which are described as follows. In one embodiment, the triazine mono› mer may include an aldehyde functional group, such as an aldehyde modified triazine monomer. The aldehyde modified 

