Developing Vegetable Oil-Based High Performance Thermosetting Resins

Renewable thermosetting resins were developed from the vegetable oil feedstocks. Acrylated soybean oil (ASO) was prepared using a novel one-step acrylation of soybean oil (SO) and copolymerization of the ASO and styrene was demonstrated. The flexural and dynamic mechanical properties of the resulting crosslinked copolymer were evaluated. Biobased epoxy monomers, including rosin-derived diglycidyl ether, fatyy acid-derived diglycidyl ether and triglycidyl ether, were synthesized. A series of epoxy resins with various properties could be obtained by adjusting the composition of the resin compositions. Flexural, impact and dynamic mechanical properties of the cured resins were also determined. Especially, the epoxy resins derived from triglycidyl ester displayed comparable strength, modulus and glass transition temperature to that of DER332. Combining the rigid rosin-derived epoxy and the flexible dimer acid one could result in resins with balanced properties and overall improved performance.