Open Access

ARTICLE

Synthesis and Characterization of Interpenetrating Polymer Networks (IPNs) from Acrylated Soybean Oil a-Resorcylic Acid: Part 2. Thermo-Mechanical Properties and Linear Fracture Mechanics

Bernal Sibaja^1,2,3, Camila Pereira Matheus^1,2, Ricardo Ballestero Mendez^1,2,Ramsis Farag^1,2,4, J. R. Vega-Baudrit³, Maria L. Auad^*,1,2

1 Chemical Engineering Department, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
2 Center for Polymer and Advanced Composites (CPAC), Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
3 National Laboratory of Nanotechnology (LANOTEC), San José, Costa Rica
4 Textile Engineering Department, Mansoura University, Egypt

*Corresponding author:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2017, 5(3-4), 241-250. https://doi.org/10.7569/JRM.2017.634114

Abstract

The thermo-mechanical properties and linear fracture mechanics of acrylated soybean oil and the triglycidylated ether of α-resorcylic acid interpenetrated networks as a function of their weight composition are the focus of Part 2 of this article. Thermo-mechanical characterization showed that the obtained materials behave as thermoset amorphous polymers, and that both the modulus and glass transition are extremely dependent on the epoxy/acrylate weight ratio. Modulus values ranged from 0.7 to 3.3 GPa at 30 °C, and glass transition temperatures ranged from around 58 °C to approx. 130 °C. No synergistic effect on these two properties was observed. Interpenetrating networks containing equivalent weight proportions of the parent resins showed the highest fracture toughness of the series, exhibiting a KIc value of around 2.1 MPa·m1/2. The results showed that the KIc values did not increase as Mc increased, which seems to suggest that a different mechanism is responsible for the increase in the fracture toughness displayed by IPNs. Also, there seems to be an exponential-type increase in the fracture energy with the Mc1/2 for the materials containing the epoxy phase.

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