A bisphenol A type novolac resin (Bis-ANR) was synthesized from bisphenol A and formaldehyde; the resulting novolac was epoxidized to generate a bisphenol A type novolac epoxy resin (Bis-ANER). The chemical structures of Bis-ANR and Bis-ANER were confirmed by H-1-NMR spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy; the molecular weights and molecular weight distributions were determined by gel permeation chromatography. In addition, the curing process of Bis-ANER with 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone was studied in both dynamic and isothermal modes with differential scanning calorimetry. The dynamic curing kinetic analysis was evaluated with both the Kissinger and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods, and the curing activation energy values were obtained. The isothermal curing reaction exhibited autocatalytic behavior, and the curing kinetics were described with the Kamal kinetics model, which accounted for both the autocatalytic and diffusion-control effects. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.