Bio-Based Epoxy Polymers, Blends, and Composites

Synthesis, Properties, Characterization, and Applications

Jyotishkumar Parameswaranpillai, Sanjay Mavinkere Rangappa, Suchart Siengchin, Seno Jose, Jyotishkumar Parameswaranpillai, Sanjay Mavinkere Rangappa, Suchart Siengchin, Seno Jose

• Publisher: Wiley-VCH
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9783527346486
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9783527823611
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Materials Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

State-of-the-art overview on bioepoxy polymers as well as their blends and composites -- covering all aspects from fundamentals to applications!

Bioepoxy polymers is an emerging area and have attracted more and more attention due to their biodegradability and good thermo-mechanical performance. In recent years, research progress has been made in synthesis, processing, characterization, and applications of bioepoxy blends and composites. Bioepoxy polymers are very promising candidates to replace the traditional thermosetting nonbiodegradable polymers.

Bio-Based Epoxy Polymers, Blends and Composites summaries recent research progress on bioepoxy polymers as well as their blends and composites. It covers aspects from synthesis, processing, various characterization techniques to broad spectrum of applications. It provides a correlation of physical properties with macro, micro and nanostructures of the materials. Moreover, research trends, future directions, and opportunities are also discussed.

• Attracts attention: Bioepoxy polymers are environmentally friendly and considered as a promising candidate to replace the traditional thermosetting nonbiodegradable polymers

• Highly application-oriented: Bioepoxy polymers can be used in a broad range of applications such as polymer foams, construction, aerospace, automobiles, self-healing systems   

• One-stop reference: Covers all aspects of bioepoxy polymer, their blends and composites, such as synthesis, properties, processing, characterization and applications

• Broad audience: Attracts attention from both academia and industry

1
Synthesis of Bio‐Based Epoxy Resins

Piotr Czuband Anna Sienkiewicz

Cracow University of Technology, Department of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, ul. Warszawska 24, 31‐155 Cracow, Poland

1.1 Introduction

The term “epoxy resin” is understood to mean compounds containing at least one active epoxy group in their structure and which are capable of forming a cross‐linked three‐dimensional structure in the curing process involving these groups. Naturally, epoxy rings are found only in vernonia oil. However, epoxy functionality can be easily introduced into the compound structure, even by the oxidation of unsaturated bonds to oxirane rings. This is a typical method of obtaining cycloaliphatic resins, applied on a large scale in electronics to encapsulate electronic systems. The second method is the use of epichlorohydrin, which is commonly applied to prepare epoxy compounds via the reaction with polyalcohols or polyphenols. Epichlorohydrin together with bisphenols (mainly bisphenol A or F, and S) are the main raw materials used in industrial methods for the synthesis of epoxy resins most often produced and used on a large scale. All these compounds are of petrochemical origin. There are three main reasons for the search of new raw materials of natural origin for the synthesis of epoxy resins. The first is the need to replace petrochemical raw materials. The volatility of oil and gas prices and their strong connections with the changing political situation in various regions of the world, as well as the inevitable prospect of imminent exhaustion of their sources, and ecological considerations are the main reasons for the search of alternative sources of raw materials. Moreover, potential toxicological and endocrine disrupting properties of bisphenol A are discussed and emphasized, especially in recent years. The second reason is the need to solve the problem of annually increasing amount of postconsumer plastic waste. Epoxy resins belong to the category of polymeric materials practically not biodegradable. The application of bio‐based raw materials can enable and facilitate their decomposition under the influence of biological factors. Epoxy resins are widely used as coating materials in products intended for contact with food or even storage of food (e.g. can‐coating or paints for securing ship hold walls). Therefore, the third reason is the need to limit the penetration of harmful substances such as bisphenol A into food from the coating material, preferably by eliminating them already at the stage of synthesis.

While searching for new bio‐based resources for the synthesis of epoxy resins, particularly bisphenol substitutes, the crucial issue must be remembered. One of the most important challenges is to provide new bio‐based resins with comparable performance properties to the currently manufactured and applied petrochemical‐based commercial products, i.e. primarily high mechanical strength, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. The mentioned properties are characteristic of the resins based on bisphenol A (or other bisphenols), thanks to which these materials are produced on a large scale for many applications. Therefore, this chapter presents the most promising raw materials whose structure can provide the desired final properties of the epoxy system after cross‐linking. At the same time, they must be raw materials easily available in large quantities from renewable sources, nontoxic and cheap to obtain and in preparation.

1.2 Plant Oil Bio‐Based Epoxy Resins

Vegetable oils, as a material of natural origin and...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface
• About the Authors
• 1 Synthesis of Bio‐Based Epoxy Resins
• 2 Natural/Synthetic Fiber‐Reinforced Bioepoxy Composites
• 3 Polymer Blends Based on Bioepoxy Polymers
• 4 Cure Kinetics of Bio‐epoxy Polymers, Their Blends, and Composites
• 5 Rheology of Bioepoxy Polymers, Their Blends, and Composites
• 6 Dynamical Mechanical Thermal Analysis of Bioepoxy Polymers, Their Blends, and Composites
• 7 Mechanical Properties of Bioepoxy Polymers, Their Blends, and Composites
• 8 Bio‐epoxy Polymer, Blends and Composites Derived Utilitarian Electrical, Magnetic and Optical Properties
• 9 Spectroscopy and Other Miscellaneous Techniques for the Characterization of Bio‐epoxy Polymers, Their Blends, and Composites
• 10 Flame Retardancy of Bioepoxy Polymers, Their Blends, and Composites
• 11 Water Sorption and Solvent Sorption of Bio‐epoxy Polymers, Their Blends, and Composites
• 12 Biobased Epoxy: Applications in Mendable and Reprocessable Thermosets, Pressure‐Sensitive Adhesives and Thermosetting Foams
• Index
• End User License Agreement