This project will develop fundamental knowledge of physical properties for sustainable epoxy materials from renewable resources. In particular, this research is aimed at advancing the knowledge and understanding of how to control the mechanical, viscoelastic and thermal properties of sustainable epoxy materials derived from crosslinked epoxidized vegetable oils and terpenes using onium salt photoinitiators. This research program is built on the premise that epoxidized monomers from renewable resources can serve as sustainable photocurable monomers that are designed to undergo facile and rapid crosslinking via exothermic ring-opening cationic polymerization. Three classes of biosourced substrates -- lipids, terpenes and natural rubbers -- are specifically selected based on the criteria that they are abundantly available at reasonable prices for the epoxidation and photocuring studies. The proposed projects represent a new direction of sustainable epoxy material research to focus the research efforts in tailoring their physical properties via the control of the crosslinking densities and the inclusion of rubbery or glassy segments. Specifically, the following research tasks will be conducted: (1) Mechanical and thermal properties of crosslinked epoxidized vegetable oils (EVOs), (2) Blending EVOs with epoxidized terpenes toward higher crosslink density, and (3) Blending EVOs with partially epoxidized natural rubbers toward lower crosslink density. This epoxy monomer blending and copolymerization strategy will produce new sustainable thermosets with inclusion of rubbery or glassy domains by manipulating the crosslinking and phase separation kinetics using EVOs with terpene- and/or natural rubber-derived epoxidized monomers. It is envisioned that this study will enhance the capability to tailor the physical properties of sustainable epoxy materials that may end up being comparable to, or potentially even better than, petroleum-derived epoxy materials.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:
Polymer materials research faces the challenge of relieving our dependence on petroleum-derived monomers and polymers by developing sustainable plastic materials from abundant and economical renewable resources. A spectrum of new biorenewable epoxy monomers will be studied to relieve our dependence on petroleum for use in coatings, adhesives, ink-jet printing and composites. Because the proposed polymerization is inexpensive, rapid, solventless and can be readily carried out under ambient conditions, this technology could easily be transferred to large-scale industrial settings. Our education activities will reach a broad and diverse range of students (K-12, undergraduate and graduate). The graduate and undergraduate students supported by this grant will acquire extensive knowledge of the design, synthesis, properties and application of novel epoxy materials from renewable resources and gain multidisciplinary training to promote academia-industry interactions. These students will also actively participate in the broad dissemination of their knowledge through K-12 outreach activities including web-based programs on science and the environment, open houses, and hands-on demos at local elementary schools and elsewhere. The PIs and students will also participate in the Sustainability Studies Program at Rensselaer.
