Epoxy Resins from High-Oleic Oils applied to Composites

Abstract

Vegetable oils are a renewable source for the production of oleochemicals. One chemical modification of vegetable oils is epoxidation, where fatty acid unsaturations are converted to epoxy groups. Oils with high oleic content may be an excellent source for producing epoxy resins, because of the uniform distribution of cross-linking sites. Bio-based epoxy resins can be mixed with structural fibers to produce composite materials. Canola oil and sunflower oil with high oleic content (74% and 86% respectively), canola oil with standard oleic acid content (64%, and soybean oil with low oleic content (22%)were epoxidized in situ with peracetic acid and a heterogeneous catalyst. Bio-based epoxy resins were blended with a synthetic epoxy resin and an anhydride curing agent to be applied as the matrix in the preparation of composites using E-glass as the structural fiber. A control was also prepared with a 100% synthetic epoxy resin. Mechanical properties (flexural, tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis) of the produced composite materials were evaluated. The results showed that the level of unsaturation and the amount contained in the matrix of bio-based epoxy resin directly impacted the mechanical properties of the composites. The application of bio-based epoxy resins in the production of composites materials helps decrease the dependence on petroleum-based resins, and may lead to a high added-value product from vegetable oils.