Biobased epoxy Foams

F.I. ALTUNA; L. ESPÓSITO; R. A. RUSECKAITE; P.M. STEFANI

Berlin

Congreso; Polymer for advanced technologies; 2013

Thermosetting epoxy foams are lightweight materialsextensively used in many industrial areas, such as aircraft,automotive, building or electronics. The widerange of applications is owed to their low density combinedwith a unique set of properties, comprising ahigh mechanic strength, good thermal and chemicalstability, excellent dielectric properties and adhesion toa broad variety of substrates1,2, being its high price(when compared with other polymer based foams) thechief limitation to its extended use. However, in recentyears, government regulations as well as consumersrequirements accounting for the increasing environmentalconcerns, have led to the research for sustainablereplacements for fossil-fuel derived raw materials3. Followingthis tendency, the use of chemically modifiedvegetable oils to substitute synthetic raw materials hasbeen widely explored4. Nevertheless, although the synthesisof polymers from epoxidized vegetable oils is welldocumented, the literature dealing with biobased epoxyfoams is scarce. The aim of the present work is to analyzethe mechanical properties of thermosetting foamsobtained using an epoxidized vegetable oil (EVO) withdifferent curing agent: EVO ratios (R) as the polymericmatrix and a foaming gas of low environmental impact.