Abstract: A class of compounds which inhibits the reaction of a polyepoxide with a curing agent at low temperatures including an epoxy resin composition containinga) a polyepoxide;b) an amine or amide curing agent for the polyepoxide;c) at least about 15 meq (per equivalent of polyepoxide) of a catalyst for the reaction of the polyepoxide with the curing agent; andd) a cure inhibitor selected such that:(1) at about 171.degree. C. the composition has a gel time that is at least about 50 percent longer than a similar composition without the inhibitor, and(2) at about 175.degree. C. and higher the composition cures in no more than about 50 minutessuch that the composition cures rapidly with high cross-link density because it has a high catalyst loading, while the inhibitor lengthens the gel time to permit laminating and other processing.

Abstract: Laminates containing one or more plies of substrate material impregnated with a composition containing (A) one or more epoxy resins, (B) one or more curing agent and (C) about 0.00005 to about 0.1 mole per epoxide equivalent of cure controlling catalyst, wherein at least one of components (A) or (B) contain at least one mesogenic moiety, which, optionally, has been subjected to either (a) the application of an electric field, (b) the application of a magnetic field, (c) drawing or shear forces, or (d) any combination thereof, are prepared.