Epoxy resin modified with soybean oil containing cyclic carbonate groups

Abstract

Carbonated soybean oil (CSO) containing five-membered cyclic carbonate groups has been obtained in the reaction of epoxidized soybean oil with carbon dioxide in the presence of KI activated by 18-crown-6 under 6 MPa CO2 pressure at 130°C. The CSO was used for modification of bisphenol-A based epoxy resin. The composition epoxidecyclic carbonate was cured using polyamine hardeners by one-step and two-step procedures. All cured compositions were characterized for their thermal and mechanical properties and compared with the parent epoxy network. The optimal properties were obtained for compositions containing CSO and cured by one-step method when phase separation takes place. The mechanical properties were discussed in terms of morphology observed by SEM. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.