Mixtures of cliglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with 1,3-benzodioxolane-2-one (CC) or 4-phenoxymethyl-1,3-dioxolane-2-one (PGEC) were cured in the presence of lanthanum triflate. FTIR/ATR was used to study the evolution of carbonate and epoxide groups to follow the reactive processes that take place during curing. DSC was applied to study the thermal characteristics of the curing process and to determine the glass-transition temperatures of the cured materials. The kinetics of the curing was studied isothermally by means of FTIR and the kinetic model was selected through the isokinetic relationships. DSC experiments were used to study the kinetics in nonisothermal conditions by means of isoconversional procedures and the Coats-Redfern and Criado methodologies. By TMA we could monitor the evolution of the shrinkage during isothermal curing. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.