Journal of Chemical Engineering & Process Technology
Open Access
ISSN: 2157-7048
ISSN: 2157-7048
Andrea Anusic, Katharina Resch-fauster and Arunjunai Raj Mahendran
Montanuniversit�?¤t Leoben, Austria
Wood Carinthian Competence Center, Austria
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Chem Eng Process Technol
Driven by the need for replacing petroleum based materials, the development and use of thermosets based on renewable resources is growing vigorously and consistently. Thus, the overall objective of the present study was to develop a thermoset with a high bio-based carbon content. Unsaturated linseed oil was used as main material for the novel thermoset. The fatty acids of linseed oil were functionalized by the epoxidation of double bonds. In order to convert the epoxidized plant oil into a curable thermoset, non-toxic and harmless petrochemical-based hardeners and catalysts were used. The main focus was on discovering substances which enable a crosslinking reaction with the epoxidized linseed oil. The effect of different hardeners, like amines (linear and cylic), cyanamides, acids and imidazoles on the curing reaction was investigated by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Infrared spectroscopy and appropriate hardener types were identified. The optimal mixing ratio was determined by systematically varying the concentrations of functionalized linseed oil and hardener. Because of the inert reactivity of the epoxidized plant oil with the hardener, also the influence of various catalysts on the curing efficiency and overall conversion rate was investigated. Promising results were achieved specifically by using dicyandiamide, which yielded a thermoset with a glass transition temperature of ~ 80 �?°C. The attained extensive set of information provides an explanation of the curing reaction of different hardeners with an epoxidized linseed oil. The polymer physical property profiles of the developed resins emphasize a great potential of the bio-based thermosets as substitute for petrochemical based resins. The research project is funded by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology in frame of the program â�?�?Produktion der Zukunftâ�? under contract no. 858688, within the context of the project â�?�?Reliable and Sustainable composite production for Biobased Componentsâ�?. The authors acknowledge valuable scientific and technical input from btoepoxy GmbH (Manfred Sieberer).
Andrea Anusic has her expertise on polymers which are based on renewable resources, on natural fiber reinforced composites and on the characterization of polymers. She has studied technical chemistry on the technical university in Graz (Austria). During her study she has focused on macromolecular chemistry. Now she is working on her PhD at the department of polymer engineering at the chair of Materials and Testing of Polymers. The study is about the curing of epoxidized plant oil to create novel, non-toxic and harmless resins with a high bio-based content, which can be used as substitute for petrochemical based resins.