ABSTRACT:The synthesis of vinyl ester resins V 1 , V 2 , and V 3 was carried out using bisphenol-A based epoxy resin and methacrylic acid in the presence of triethyl-, tripropyl-, and tributyl-amines, respectively. The reaction follows first-order kinetics. The interaction between acid and amine was investigated by IR spectroscopy which shows absorptions corresponding to the formation of activated acid-catalyst complex. The specific rate constants, calculated by regression analysis, were found to obey an Arrhenius expression. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters: activation energy, frequency factor, entropy, enthalpy, and free energy revealed that the reaction was spontaneous and irreversible with a highly ordered activated complex. The activation energy of the esterification of epoxy resin in the presence of tertiary amines increases in order V 1 < V 2 < V 3 . The experimental results were explained by proposing a reaction mechanism and deriving the rate equation. C