An acid anhydride is a type of chemical compound composed of two acyl groups bonded to a common oxygen atom. They are commonly formed by the removal of water molecules from a pair of acids.
In organic chemistry, organic acid anhydrides contain the functional group −C(=O)−O−C(=O)−. Organic acid anhydrides often form when one equivalent of water is removed from two equivalents of an organic acid in a dehydration reaction.
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Epoxy is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group is also collectively called epoxy. The IUPAC name for an epoxide group is an oxirane.
Epoxy resins may be reacted (cross-linked) either with themselves through catalytic homopolymerisation, or with a wide range of co-reactants including polyfunctional amines, acids (and acid anhydrides), phenols, alcohols and thiols (sometimes called mercaptans). These co-reactants are often referred to as hardeners or curatives, and the cross-linking reaction is commonly referred to as curing.