Novel biobased epoxy resin thermosets derived from eugenol and vanillin

Preparation and Properties of Epoxy Adhesives with Fast Curing at Room Temperature and Low-Temperature Resistance

Developing a highly efficient multifunctional epoxy adhesive is still an enormous challenge, which can rapidly cure at room temperature and has excellent low-temperature resistance performance and is crucial for the epoxy adhesive and electrical sealing fields during severe cold seasons. Herein, diglycidyl phthalate (DP) was synthesized with phthalic anhydride (PA) and epichlorohydrin (ECH) to enhance the curing rate and low-temperature resistance of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) adhesive. The modified DP/DGEBA adhesives were systematically analyzed by gel time, mechanical properties, and aging resistance (time, temperature, and dry/wet treatment). The results showed that DP with highly active ester groups significantly accelerates the curing speed of DP/DGEBA. DP's rigid aromatic ring-benzene ring and flexible group-ester group gave the adhesive better low-temperature resistance. When the addition of DP was 10 wt % (based on the mass of DGEBA), the gel time of DP/DGEBA epoxy adhesives was reduced by 58 min compared to unmodified DGEBA epoxy adhesive, and after aging at low temperature (-20 °C) for 7 days, the tensile shear strengths of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and aluminum plate increased by 76.2 and 80.6%, respectively. The results of non-isothermal curing kinetics and dynamic mechanical analysis suggested that when the amount of DP was 10 wt %, the reaction activation energy of DP/DGEBA epoxy adhesive decreased by 4.0%, and the cross-linking density increased by 8.9%. Moreover, the toughness of the modified adhesive was also improved. This study opens up a feasible way for the development of a low temperature-resistant epoxy adhesive cured rapidly at room temperature in practical application.

Bio-Based Thermosetting Resins: From Molecular Engineering to Intrinsically Multifunctional Customization

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in bio-based thermosetting resins in terms of environmental concerns and the desire for sustainable industrial practices. Beyond sustainability, utilizing the structural diversity of renewable feedstock to craft bio-based thermosets with customized functionalities is very worthy of expectation. There exist many bio-based compounds with inherently unique chemical structures and functions, some of which are even difficult to synthesize artificially. Over the past decade, great efforts are devoted to discovering/designing functional properties of bio-based thermosets, and notable progress have been made in antibacterial, antifouling, flame retardancy, serving as carbon precursors, and stimuli responsiveness, among others, largely expanding their application potential and future prospects. In this review, recent advances in the field of functional bio-based thermosets are presented, with a particular focus on molecular structures and design strategies for discovering functional properties. Examples are highlighted wherein functionalities are facilitated by the inherent structures of bio-based feedstock. Perspectives on issues regarding further advances in this field are proposed at the end.

Characteristics and Application of Eugenol in the Production of Epoxy and Thermosetting Resin Composites: A Review

The review article presents an analysis of the properties of epoxy and thermosetting resin composites containing eugenol derivatives. Moreover, eugenol properties were characterized using thermogravimeters (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The aim of this work was to determine the possibility of using eugenol derivatives in polymer composites based on thermoset resins, which can be used as eco-friendly high-performance materials. Eugenol has been successfully used in the production of epoxy composites as a component of coupling agents, epoxy monomers, flame retardants, curing agents, and modifiers. In addition, it reduced the negative impact of thermoset composites on the environment and, in some cases, enabled their biodegradation. Eugenol-based silane coupling agent improved the properties of natural filler epoxy composites. Moreover, eugenol flame retardant had a positive effect on the fire resistance of the epoxy resin. In turn, eugenol glycidyl ether (GE) was used as a diluent of epoxy ester resins during the vacuum infusion process of epoxy composites with the glass fiber. Eugenol-based epoxy resin was used to make composites with carbon fiber with enhanced thermomechanical properties. Likewise, resins such as bismaleimide resin, phthalonitrile resin, and palm oil-based resin have been used for the production of composites with eugenol derivatives.

Preparation and evaluation of novel bio-based Bis-GMA-free dental composites with low estrogenic activity

OBJECTIVE

Although bisphenol Aglycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA) are widely used in the dental composite, its raw materials include the petroleum-based product bisphenol A (BPA) with high estrogenic activity (EA). In this study, two new BPA-free dimethacrylate monomers from bio-based material creosol were synthesized and evaluated.

METHODS

The renewable bisphenol monomer 5, 5'-methylenedicreosol (BCF) was prepared from bio-based material creosol. By the human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 cells) proliferation assay, a risk assessment of BCF was performed to determine if BCF possessed reduced EA in comparison to BPA. Then, the novel monomers 5, 5'-methylenedicreosol diglycidyl ether diacrylate (BCF-EA) and 5, 5'-methylenedicreosol diglycidyl ether dimethacrylate (BCF-GMA) were synthesized from BCF with epichlorohydrin and (meth)acrylate. All products were investigated by ¹H NMR and FT-IR spectra. The control resin was a mixture based on Bis-GMA and tri(ethyleneglycol) dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) with a weight ratio of 5:5 (5B5T). Similarly, experimental resin matrix was a mixture based on BCF-EA/TEGDMA (5E5T) and BCF-GMA/TEGDMA (5G5T). And their corresponding composites were then prepared with corresponding resin matrices and hybrid SiO₂ (5E5TC, 5G5TC and 5B5TC). The properties of these composites were investigated according to the standard or referenced methods. Each sample was evaluated for double bond conversion (DC), shrinkage stress (SS) and volumetric polymerization shrinkage (VS). Water sorption (WS), water solubility (SL), mechanical properties and cytotoxicity were also measured.

RESULTS

¹H NMR and FT-IR spectra confirmed the chemical structure of each monomer. EA test revealed that bio-based bisphenol monomer BCF as the precursor of BCF-EA and BCF-GMA showed lower EA than BPA. Cured resin matrix: Both 5E5T and 5G5T had nearly the same DC (p < 0.05), which was higher than 5B5T (p < 0.05); 5E5T and 5G5T had lower VS, SL and cytotoxicity than 5B5T (p < 0.05); mechanical properties of 5E5T and 5G5T were all better than those of 5B5T (p < 0.05). Cured composite: There was no significant difference in conversion (p < 0.05); 5E5TC and 5G5TC had significantly lower VS (p < 0.05); WS of 5E5TC and 5G5TC were similar (p < 0.05), but higher compared to 5B5TC (p < 0.05); 5E5TC and 5G5TC had the deeper depth of cure (p > 0.05); before water immersion, there was no significant difference in flexural strength between 5E5TC and 5G5TC (p > 0.05), and higher than 5B5TC (p < 0.05); 5E5TC and 5G5TC showed less cytotoxicity than 5B5TC (p < 0.05).

SIGNIFICANCE

The new BPA-free di(meth)acrylates are promising photocurable dental monomers owning to bio-based raw material, high degree of conversion coupled with low curing shrinkage and good mechanical properties. Therefore, BCF-EA and BCF-GMA has a potential to be used as the substitution for Bis-GMA to prepare Bis-GMA-free dental composite.

Vegetable Oil-Based Thiol-Ene/Thiol-Epoxy Resins for Laser Direct Writing 3D Micro-/Nano-Lithography

The use of renewable sources for optical 3D printing instead of petroleum-based materials is increasingly growing. Combinations of photo- and thermal polymerization in dual curing processes can enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of the synthesized thermosets. Consequently, thiol-ene/thiol-epoxy polymers were obtained by combining UV and thermal curing of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil and epoxidized linseed oil with thiols, benzene-1,3-dithiol and pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercaptopropionate). Thiol-epoxy reaction was studied by calorimetry. The changes of rheological properties were examined during UV, thermal and dual curing to select the most suitable formulations for laser direct writing (LDW). The obtained polymers were characterized by dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis, thermogravimetry, and mechanical testing. The selected dual curable mixture was tested in LDW 3D lithography for validating its potential in optical micro- and nano-additive manufacturing. The obtained results demonstrated the suitability of epoxidized linseed oil as a biobased alternative to bisphenol A diglycidyl ether in thiol-epoxy thermal curing reactions. Dual cured thermosets showed higher rigidity, tensile strength, and Young’s modulus values compared with UV-cured thiol-ene polymers and the highest thermal stability from all prepared polymers. LDW results proved their suitability for high resolution 3D printing—individual features reaching an unprecedented 100 nm for plant-based materials. Finally, the biobased resin was tested for thermal post-treatment and 50% feature downscaling was achieved.

Tannin polymerization: an overview

This review critically addresses the most relevant and innovative techniques for obtaining polymers from tannins.

New Eco-Friendly Synthesized Thermosets from Isoeugenol-Based Epoxy Resins

Epoxy resin plays a key role in composite matrices and DGEBA is the major precursor used. With the aim of favouring the use of bio resources, epoxy resins can be prepared from lignin. In particular, diglycidyl ether of isoeugenol derivatives are good candidates for the replacement of DGEBA. This article presents an effective and eco-friendly way to prepare epoxy resin derived from isoeugenol (BioIgenox), making its upscale possible. BioIgenox has been totally characterized by NMR, FTIR, MS and elemental analyses. Curing of BioIgenox and camphoric anhydride with varying epoxide function/anhydride molar ratios has allowed determining an optimum ratio near 1/0.9 based on DMA and DSC analyses and swelling behaviours. This thermoset exhibits a Tg measured by DMA of 165 °C, a tensile storage modulus at 40 °C of 2.2 GPa and mean 3-point bending stiffness, strength and strain at failure of 3.2 GPa, 120 MPa and 6.6%, respectively. Transposed to BioIgenox/hexahydrophtalic anhydride, this optimized formulation gives a thermoset with a Tg determined by DMA of 140 °C and a storage modulus at 40 °C of 2.6 GPa. The thermal and mechanical properties of these two thermosets are consistent with their use as matrices for structural or semi-structural composites.

New Epoxy Thermosets Derived from Clove Oil Prepared by Epoxy-Amine Curing

New thermosets from a triglycidyl eugenol derivative (3EPOEU) as a renewable epoxy monomer were obtained by an epoxy-amine curing process. A commercially-available Jeffamine^® and isophorone diamine, both obtained from renewable resources, were used as crosslinking agents, and the materials obtained were compared with those obtained from a standard diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). The evolution of the curing process was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and the materials obtained were characterized by means of calorimetry, thermogravimetry, thermodynamomechanical analysis, stress–strain tests and microindentation. 3EPOEU formulations were slightly less reactive, and the thermosets obtained showed higher T_gs than those prepared from DGEBA, since they had higher crosslinking density than formulations with DGEBA because of the more compact structure and higher functionality of the eugenol derivative. 3EPOEU thermosets showed good thermal stability and mechanical properties. The results obtained in this study allow us to conclude that the triglycidyl derivative of eugenol, 3EPOEU, is a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to DGEBA.

A biobased Schiff base from protocatechualdehyde and its application in flame-retardant, low-smoke epoxy resin systems

Herein, a new renewable Schiff base flame retardant 4,4'-((1E,1'E)-((oxybis(4,1-phenylene))bis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(benzene-1,2-diol) (PH-ODA) was prepared by the reaction of protocatechualdehyde with 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA). PH-ODA (acting as a carbonization agent) combined with ammonium polyphosphate (APP) were used as intumescent flame retardants for commercial bisphenol A epoxy resin (DGEBA). For the cured epoxy resin containing 7.5% APP and 2.5% PH-ODA, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) reached 29.9% (with the V-0 rating in UL-94 test), and the peak heat release rate and total smoke production were respectively decreased by 88.1% and 68.3%, compared with pure epoxy resin. The enhancement of fire-safety performance was due to PH-ODA/APP promoting the formation of a compact intumescent char structure. It was also found that the synergism between PH-ODA and APP was helpful to enhance the fire resistance of the epoxy matrix. This work provides a facile and sustainable route for synthesizing Schiff base compounds from biomass-derived resources, possessing great potential for application in highly-effective intumescent flame retardants.