Abstract: The curing reaction and thermal degradation of bisphenol A type novolac epoxy resin(bis-ANER) with 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether(DDE) were investigated with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetery and thermogravimetry. With extending curing time, the intensity of the IR absorbance of epoxide groups decreased, and that of the hydroxyl groups increased. In the later curing stage, the IR absorbance of the carbonyl groups appeared and its intensity increased with curing time. The apparent activation energies of the no-isothermal curing for the bis-ANER/DDE evaluated with the Kissinger and Ozawa-Flynn Wall methods were 57.6 and 61.5 kJ/mol, respectively. In addition, the thermal degradation of the bis-ANER/DDE network began with the breaking of the ether bond, and the reactions in both nitrogen and oxygen atmospheres followed the nucleation and growth mechanism in the initial degradation stage, g(α)=[-ln (1-α)]^2/3. In the higher temperature stage, the thermal degradation reaction mechanisms were different in the two atmospheres, and the oxidation effect of oxygen on the thermal degradation reaction appeared.