Rubbery thermosets by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of a functionalized castor oil and cycloodene

Rubbery thermosets prepared by ROMP of a modified castor oil containing norbornene moieties and cyclooctene have been synthesized and characterized. The thermosets range from 55 to 85 wt.-% oil and are flexible, slightly transparent and have a sand-like hue. Increasing concentration of the modified castor oil in the feed ratio results in an increase in the extracted (unreacted or oligomeric) components in the final thermoset. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that all of the specimens have temperatures of maximum degradation around 500 degrees C. DMA and TGA analysis on solvent-extracted specimens show that the presence of the soluble fractions helps to plasticize the materials and give added thermal stability.