Open Access

ARTICLE

Semi-Interpenetrating Novolac-Epoxy Thermoset Polymer Networks Derived from Plant Biomass

Mehul Barde^1,2, Yusuf Celikbag³, Brian Via³, Sushil Adhikari⁴, Maria L. Auad^1,2,*

1 Center for Polymers and Advanced Composites, Auburn University, Auburn, 36849, AL, United States of America.
2 Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, 36849, AL, United States of America.
3 Forest Products Development Center, Auburn University, Auburn, 36849, AL, United States of America.
4 Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, 36849, AL, United States of America.

*Corresponding author:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2018, 6(7), 724-736. https://doi.org/10.32604/JRM.2018.00116

Abstract

Bio-based phenol-formaldehyde polymer (BioNovolac) was developed by reacting molar excess of bio-oil/phenol with formaldehyde in acidic medium. Glycidyl 3,5-diglycidoxybenzoate (GDGB), was prepared by direct glycidylation of α-resorcylic acid (RA), a naturally occurring phenolic monomer. GDGB was crosslinked in the presence of BioNovolac by anionic polymerization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the formation of semi-interpenetrating polymer networks. The glass transition temperature and moduli of bio-based crosslinked systems were observed to increase with increasing GDGB content. Active chain density and mass retention measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and Soxhlet extraction, respectively, indicated a high crosslink density of the cured networks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images depicted the homogeneity of the bulk phase. The preparation of bio-based epoxy-novolac thermoset network resulted in reduced consumption of petroleum-based chemicals.

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