Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A or 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3,4-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate were mixed with different proportions of 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-one and cured using lanthanide triflates as initiators. In order to compare the materials obtained, conventional initiators such as boron trifluoride complexes and N,N-dimethylaminopyridine were also tested. The curing process was followed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform IR in attenuated total reflectance mode. This technique proved that the carbonate accelerates the curing process because it helps to form the active initiating species, although it was not chemically incorporated into the network and remained entrapped in the material. The DSC kinetic study was also reported. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.