Interpenetrated polymer networks (IPNs), which are a blend of polymers, seek to combine the best properties of two or more different polymer networks in order to achieve a material with better properties compared to their not-interpenetrated counterparts. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in developing IPNs using biomass derived materials. Amongst many biomass derived materials, vegetable oils have been considered as a readily available candidate for the production of polymeric materials. Since triglycerides are not readily polymerizable, it is important to perform chemical functionalization in order to obtain more reactive moieties. Acrylated epoxidized oil was the chosen monomer for the synthesis of IPNs. The acrylated groups of acrylated vegetable oils are reactive and behave similarly to vinyl groups, therefore acrylated oils undergo polymerization in the presence of a free radical initiator, such as AIBN. Likewise, the mechanical properties of these oil-based epoxy resins can be enhanced by the addition of materials bearing aromatic structures. Indeed, the thermal and mechanical performance properties of organic polymers are generally linked to the presence of rigid aromatic structures Hence, biomass is also a potential source of bio- polyphenols; which are viable compounds for the production of cross-linked epoxy thermosets, with mechanical properties comparable to their commercial counterparts. Thus, by employing acrylated vegetable oil and phenolic monomers functionalized with epoxy groups; the main purpose of this project is to cover the major aspects related to the chemical synthesis, physical-chemical characterization and study of thermo-mechanical behavior of bio-based IPNs. The properties of the material were evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as Soxhlet extraction. The morphology of the IPNs was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thermo-mechanical characterization showed that the obtained materials behave as thermoset amorphous polymers, exhibiting moduli values in the order of Giga Pascals at room temperature and glass transition temperatures above 100 °C. FTIR and Soxhlet extractions indicated high degree of conversion and incorporation of the monomers into the polymer networks.

Synthesis and characterization of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) using biomass derived materials

251st National Meeting (2016)

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