Edgars Vanags*, Mikelis Kirpluks, Ugis Cabulis and Zuzana Walterova

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.7, pp. 764-771, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2018.634111

Abstract In this work, free tall oil fatty acids were epoxidized with in-situ generated peroxyacetic acid. Reaction kinetics of epoxidation was investigated by oxirane content and iodine value titrimetric determination, as well as FTIR spectra analysis. A highly functional biobased polyol was synthesized by functionalizing epoxidized tall oil fatty acids with triethanolamine using Montmorillonite K10 as a catalyst. The obtained polyol was analyzed by FTIR and MALDI-TOF MS. The most common chemical and physical characteristics of obtained polyol were determined. More >

Hassen Mohamed Sbihi^1,*, Hamid Shaikh², Lahssen El Blidi², Imed Arbi Nehdi¹, Ubair Abdus Samad², Moufida Romdhani-Younes³, Saud Ibrahim Al-Resayes¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.6, pp. 651-661, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2018.634105

Abstract In this study, different samples of alkyd resins based on Citrullus colocynthis seed oil (CCSO)—which has a high content of linoleic acid—were prepared as a renewable raw material. Short (I), medium (II), and long (III) alkyd resins were synthesized using oil, glycerol, and phthalic anhydride (PA) in different proportions. Prunus mahaleb seed oil (PMSO), which contains conjugated linolenic acid, was blended with CCSO in different proportions to examine the effect of PMSO on the film properties of alkyd resins (IV and V). All synthesized resins were characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis. These More >

Kunal Wazarkar, Anagha Sabnis*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.4, pp. 438-449, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634159

Abstract The research work presented in this article deals with the synthesis of cardanol-based polyol and its curing with hexabutoxymethyl melamine (HBMM) for application in coatings. Cardanol-based polyol was prepared via thiol-ene click reaction using thioglycerol. Unsaturation present in the long chain of cardanol was successfully utilized to synthesize polyol via thiol-ene coupling. The reaction was carried out between cardanol and thioglycerol in the presence of Irgacure 184 (photoinitiator) and 1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (catalyst) under UV light for 12 h at 80 °C. After completion of the reaction, one mole of thioglycerol was successfully added across the double More >

M. Asim¹, M. Jawaid^1,2*, M. Nasir³, N. Saba¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.4, pp. 383-393, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634162

Abstract This study deals with the analysis of dynamic mechanical, thermal and flammability properties of treated and untreated pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) and kenaf fiber (KF) phenolic composites. Results indicated that storage modulus was decreased for all composites with increases in temperature and pattern of slopes for all composites, having almost the same values of E' at glass transition temperature (Tg). The peak of the loss modulus of pure phenolic composites was shown to be much less. After the addition of kenaf/PALF, peaks were higher and shifted towards a high temperature. The Tan delta peak height More >

M. Asim¹, M. Jawaid^1,4*, K. Abdan², M.R. Ishak³, O.Y. Alothman^4,5

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.1, pp. 38-46, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634148

Abstract In this study, pineapple leaf fiber (PALF), kenaf fiber (KF) and PALF/KF/phenolic (PF) composites were fabricated and their mechanical properties were investigated. The mechanical properties (tensile, flexural and impact) of the PALF/KF/PF hybrid composites were investigated and compared with PALF/KF composites. The 3P7K exhibited enhanced tensile strength (46.96 MPa) and modulus (6.84 GPa), flexural strength (84.21 MPa) and modulus (5.81 GPa), and impact strength (5.39 kJ/m2) when compared with the PALF/PF and KF/PF composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the fracture surfaces of the tensile testing samples. The microstructure of the 7P3K More >

F. J. Santiago-Medina¹, A. Pizzi^{1, 2*}, M. C. Basso¹, L. Delmotte³, S. Abdalla²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.5, pp. 388-399, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634142

Abstract The reaction of a desulphurized kraft lignin with hexamethylene diamine as a model of a polyamine has been investigated. For this purpose, guaiacol was also used as a lignin model compound and treated under similar conditions. Solid state CP-MAS 13C NMR, FTIR and MALDI-TOF spectroscopy studies revealed that polycondensation compounds leading to resins were obtained by the reaction of the amines with the phenolic and aliphatic hydroxy groups of lignin. Simultaneously a second reaction leading to the formation of ionic bonds between the same groups occurred. These new reactions have been clearly shown to involve More >

Mohamed Ammar¹, Ramzi Khiari^2,3,4*, Mohamed Naceur Belgacem^3,4*, Elimame Elaloui¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.2, pp. 116-123, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634136

Abstract The present study investigated the preparation of biomatrices from Stipa tenacissima L. and its valorization for fiberboard application. Resins were produced by extracting lignin from the Stipa tenacissima L. black liquor by soda process and combining it with glyoxal as crosslinking agent to produce lignin-glyoxal-resin (LGR). The matrix was characterized by several methods, such as FTIR and ATG/ATD, and then mixed with date palm rachis as reinforcing fibers in different proportions of 30 and 50% (w/w with respect to the matrix) to produce biodegradable composite materials. Then, their thermal and mechanical properties were determined, using More >

Arunjunairaj Mahendran^1*, Günter Wuzella¹, Thomas Hardt-Stremayr¹, Wolfgang Gindl-Altmutter²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.3, pp. 215-224, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634110

Abstract Woven natural fiber-reinforced composites were fabricated using four different flax fabrics and two biobased epoxy resin matrices. The reinforced composites were prepared using resin infusion technique and fiber volume fractions of between 28–35% were achieved using this method. The fiber matrix interaction and the failure mechanism in the composite were observed using scanning electron microscopy. The flexural strength and modulus on the warp and weft directions were characterized and it was found that based on yarn count and yarn thickness change in the flexural strength was observed. Dynamic water absorption and thickness swelling were observed More >

A. Sammaiah¹, K. V. Padmaja¹, K. I. Suresh^*,2, R. B. N. Prasad¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.2, pp. 113-122, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634118

Abstract This article reports the effect of epoxidized jatropha oil (EJO) on the thermal, cure and viscoelastic properties of epoxy resins. Epoxidized jatropha oil with an oxirane value of 5.0 was prepared and epoxy formulations containing different concentrations of EJO were evaluated for cure, morphology, thermal and viscoelastic properties. The curing temperature of the formulations increased with increasing EJO content. The glass transition temperature of the cured films decreased from 56 °C for unmodified epoxy resin to 23 °C for the sample with 60 wt% EJO reactive diluent, suggesting good plasticizing action. The thermal decomposition was More >

Flávio Pereira¹, João Pereira², Nádia Paiva³, João Ferra³, Jorge Manuel Martins^1,4, Fernão D. Magalhães¹, and Luísa Carvalho^1,4*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 41-46, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634128

Abstract This work studies the use of soy protein as a natural formaldehyde scavenger in wood particleboard production. The protein is incorporated in two forms: a) as a powder, during the blending process of wood particles with urea-formaldehyde binder resin, and b) as an aqueous solution, added at different times during resin synthesis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the signifi cance level of two effects (amount of added soy and time of addition) on internal bond strength, thickness swelling, and formaldehyde content of the resulting panels. The results showed that soy protein can More >