UV curable soybean‐oil hybrid systems based on thiol‐acrylate and thiol‐ene‐acrylate chemistry

In this study, epoxidized soybean oil was modified to prepare acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and vinyl/acrylate ended soybean oil (VASO), which were blended with mercaptopropyl polyhedral oligomericsilsequioxane (POSS‐SH) to prepare UV curable thiol‐acrylate and thiol‐ene‐acrylate hybrid coatings. Photopolymerization processes of the coatings were measured and the results showed that addition of POSS‐SH obviously increased the conversion of double bond. The physical and mechanical properties of all cured samples were investigated, which indicated that the pencil hardness, tensile strength, and fracture toughness were significantly improved by POSS‐SH. Moreover, with increasing POSS‐SH content, the water contact angles of cured samples were increased, and the water resistance was greatly improved. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42095.     

New polymers from epoxidized soybean oil with pyridine derivatives

In this study 4‐methylpyridine (4MP), 4‐vinylpyridine (4VP) and poly(4‐vinylpyridine) (P4VP) were separately reacted with epoxidized soybean oil triglycerides (ESO) to give plant oil based thermoset polymers. The addition reaction of pyridine with epoxide followed by a rearrangement results in formation of pyridone units and these were polymerized via a Diels–Alder reaction. DMA, DSC, TGA and IR spectroscopy were used for the characterization of the products. 4MP‐ESO, P4VP‐ESO and P4VP‐ESO‐in situ polymers were crosslinked yielding rigid infusible polymers. Glass transition temperatures (T_g) of 4MP‐ESO and P4VP‐ESO‐in situ were found as ?10.5 and 70.5 (32.3 as shoulder) °C respectively, by DMA analysis. Storage moduli of 4MP‐ESO and P4VP‐ESO‐in situ at 25°C were 13.7 and 187.2 MPa, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

No Evidence Found for Diels–Alder Reaction Products in Soybean Oil Oxidized at the Frying Temperature by NMR Study

It has been generally accepted that the Diels–Alder reaction mechanism is one of the major reaction mechanisms to produce dimers and polymers during heating process of vegetable oil. Soybean oil oxidized at 180 °C for 24 h with 1.45 surface area-to-volume ratio showed 36 % polymer peak area in gel permeation chromatogram. However, the NMR DEPT (Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer) 135 spectrum did not show any signals of possible Diels–Alder products. A fraction separated from the oxidized soybean oil by column chromatography contained 98 % polymers, but again, showed no signals of proposed Diels–Alder products in the DEPT 135 spectrum. Methyl oleate and triolein without a diene required for the Diels–Alder reaction produced 27 and 63 % of total polymers, respectively, under the same condition. This indicates that the polymers must be produced by reactions other than the Diels–Alder reaction for these oils. This study shows that the Diels–Alder reaction is not the major reaction to produce polymers during oxidation of soybean oil, within the DEPT 135 spectroscopy sensitivity level, about 5 mol %.     

Diels–Alder‐based crosslinked self‐healing polyurethane/urea from polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate

Crosslinked self‐healing polyurethane/urea based on a Diels–Alder reaction (C‐PMPU–DA) was synthesized from a multiple‐furan monomer and a commercial bismaleimide. The multiple‐furan monomer (PMPU–furan) was obtained from a functionalized prepolymer (polymeric MDI: PBA‐2000 = 2:1) by furfuryl amine. The structures of both the PMPU–furan and C‐PMPU–DA were characterized by attenuated total reflectance (ATR)–Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and ¹H‐NMR. The Diels–Alder bonds enabled C‐PMPU–DA thermal reversibility, which was investigated by ATR–FTIR spectroscopy, ¹H‐NMR, gel–solution–gel experiments, and viscosity tests. Meanwhile, the self‐healing properties of C‐PMPU–DA were also investigated by the recovery of the mechanical properties. The results showed that C‐PMPU–DA exhibited good thermal reversibility and self‐healing properties. C‐PMPU–DA exhibited thermosetting properties at room temperature, although it exhibited thermoplastic properties at higher temperatures and may find applications in self‐healing materials, recyclable materials, or removable materials. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40234.     

Synthesis,characterization, and kinetics study of thermal decomposition of epoxidized soybean oil acrylate

The synthesis of epoxidized soybean oil acrylate (ESOA) from epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) had been carried out by reacting acrylic acid with the oxirane group in ESO. The acrylated ESO products were characterized using a variety of analytical techniques. The oxygen value, iodine value, and acid value were obtained to know the amount of unsaturation in the synthesized product. Infrared and proton NMR spectra were carried out to confirm the participation of oxirane group in the acrylation reaction. Free‐radical initiators, benzoyl peroxide and tertiary butyl peroxy benzoate, were used for the curing of ESOA resin. Thermal decomposition kinetics of ESOA was studied by the methods of Ozawa, Kissinger, and Horowitz‐Metzger, and the kinetic parameters were compared. The thermal decomposition data of the cured ESOA resin was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at different heating rates. TG curves showed that the thermal decomposition of the ESOA system occurred in one stage. The apparent activation energies determined by the Ozawa, Kissinger, and Horowitz‐Metzger methods are 122.69, 95.347, and 126.20 kJ/mol, respectively. The results show that there was a reasonably good agreement between the calculated activation energies for stage one in the above methods. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Free‐radical copolymerization of [(4‐isopropyl phenyl) oxycarbonyl] methyl methacrylate with acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate

The present investigation has been achieved in accordance with the Diels–Alder reaction (1,4 cycloaddition) to produce a new halogenated bicyclic adduct. ortho‐Bromoallylbenzoate is a new dienophile that was prepared in a pure form, and its structure was confirmed. The Diels–Alder syntheses of hexachlorocyclopentadiene and the new dienophile were studied to determine the optimum condensation reaction conditions under a temperature range of 90–160°C, reaction times of 1–8 h, and molar diene/dienophile ratios from 1:1 to 5:1 as a consequence. The optimum conditions reached were a temperature of 140°C, an initial diene/dienophile molar ratio of 3:1, and a duration time of 6 h. The maximum stoichometric yield under these optimum conditions (82.5%) was obtained. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2331–2338, 2003     

Biobased composite resins design for electronic materials

Biobased materials developed from triglycerides contain a large variety of structures, which makes it difficult to predict their properties. In this study, we used a structure–property relation to design biobased materials, both theoretically and experimentally. A general equation to predict the crosslink density in terms of the level of chemical functionalities of the triglycerides was derived and used as a design rule for high‐crosslinked polymer materials. The twinkling fractal theory and the Clausius–Mossotti equation were used to guide two approaches of synthesis to improve the properties of the biobased thermosets: the biobased resin acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) was either crosslinked with divinylbenzene (DVB) or chemically modified by phthalic anhydride. The DVB‐crosslinked resins had a 14–24°C increase in their glass‐transition temperatures (T_g′s), which was dependent on the crosslink densities. T_g increased linearly as the crosslink density increased. Phthalated acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (PAESO) had an 18–30% improvement in the modulus. The dielectric constants and loss tangents of both DVB‐crosslinked AESO and PAESO were lower than conventional dielectrics used for printed circuit boards (PCBs). These results suggest that the new biobased resins with lower carbon dioxide footprint are potential replacements for commercial petroleum‐based dielectric materials for PCBs. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis and properties of grafted latices from a soybean oil‐based waterborne polyurethane and acrylics

A novel soybean oil‐based vinyl‐containing waterborne polyurethane (VPU) dispersion has been successfully synthesized from toluene 2,4‐diisocyanate, dimethylol propionic acid and a 90 : 10 mixture of chlorinated soybean oil‐based polyol and acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO). Then, a series of VPU/acrylic grafted latices have been prepared by emulsion graft copolymerization of acrylic monomers (40 wt % butyl acrylate and 60 wt % methyl methacrylate) in the presence of the VPU dispersion, using potassium persulfate as an initiator. The structure, morphology, and thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting latices, containing 15–60 wt % soybean oil‐based polyols as a renewable resource, have been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, and mechanical testing. The results indicate that graft copolymerization of the acrylic monomers onto the VPU network occurs during emulsion polymerization, leading to a significant increase in the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the resulting miscible grafted latices. This work provides new environmentally‐friendly latices from a renewable resource with high performance for coating applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

New Bismaleimide-Silica Hybrid Materials: A Critical Assessment of Properties in Correlation with the Method of Synthesis

New hybrid materials have been prepared by sol–gel technique. They have been obtained from bismaleimide monomers either in reaction with N-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)furan-2-carboxamide monomer, by a Diels–Alder reaction, or in reaction with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane following a Michael addition reaction. The sol–gel process was conducted with or without adding different amounts of tetraethyl orthosilicate. The structures of the obtained compounds have been confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A comparative study between Diels–Alder- and Michael addition-type products regarding their thermal and mechanical properties was also conducted for samples as obtained from synthesis. The thermoreversible character of the Diels–Alder hybrid materials has been demonstrated with the aids of differential scanning calorimetry and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the results from both methods being in good agreement with each other, and with literature data. The morphology of hybrid materials was studied by the atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy for three different stages: initial (24°C), at heating (150°C), and after cooling at 24°C, and scanning electron microscopy. All data confirmed the driving force for the dispersion of the Si-containing aggregates in the Michael addition series is the dynamic evolution of the sol–gel process, whereas the Diels–Alder series behavior is ruled by the thermoreversible character of the Diels–Alder cycloaddition.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of acrylated expoxidized‐soybean oil‐based thermosets

A series of epoxidized‐soybean oil (ESO) with different epoxyl content were synthesized by in situ epoxidation of soybean oil (SBO). The acrylated epoxidized‐soybean oil (AESO) was obtained by the reaction of ring opening of ESO using acrylic acid as ring opener. The acrylated expoxidized‐soybean oil‐based thermosets have been synthesized by bulk radical polymerization of these AESOs and styrene. The thermal properties of the resins were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo‐gravimetric analysis (TG). The results showed that these resins possess high thermal stability. There were two glass transition temperature of each resin due to the triglycerides structure of the resins. The tensile strength and impact strength of the resins were also recorded, and the tensile strength and impact strength increased as the iodine value of ESO decreased. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Thermally reversible and self‐healing novolac epoxy resins based on Diels–Alder chemistry

The modified novolac epoxy resins with furan pendant groups were prepared by novolac epoxy resin and furfuryl alcohol and then crosslinked by bifunctional maleimide via Diels–Alder (DA) chemistry to obtain the thermally reversible and self‐healing novolac epoxy resins. The as‐prepared crosslinked novolac epoxy resins were characterized by FT‐IR, NMR, TGA, and DMA. The results indicate that the novel crosslinked novolac epoxy resins present higher storage modulus (2.37 GPa at 30°C) and excellent thermal stability (348°C at 5% mass loss). Furthermore, the thermal reversible and self‐healing properties were studied in detail by DSC, SEM, thermal re‐solution, and gel–solution–gel transition experiments. All the results reveal that the crosslinked novolac epoxy resins based on DA reaction can be used as smart material for the practical application of electronic packaging and structural materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42167.     

Cyclopentadiene‐functionalized polyketone as self‐cross‐linking thermo‐reversible thermoset with increased softening temperature

Self‐cross‐linkable thermo‐reversible thermosets were obtained by a two‐steps post‐functionalization of aliphatic alternating polyketones yielding two different cyclopentadiene functionalization degree of 9 and 22% (with the respect of initial 1,4‐dicarbonyl units). Thermo‐reversibility was verified by gelation experiments and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) scans displayed a broad transition varying from 75–100°C till 160°C that can be related to retro‐Diels Alder de‐bonding of the dicyclopentadienyl moieties. The dynamic mechanical thermal (DMTA) analysis showed the complete thermo‐mechanical recovery of the material up to six thermal cycles with a softening temperature around 210°C, thereby ensuring a suitable application window for high‐temperature resistant thermosets. Independently of the exact mechanism at the molecular level and in addition to previous studies which used the same Diels‐Alder diene‐dienophile system, it must be noticed that all prepared materials retained their mechanical behavior during at least six consecutive thermal cycles, thus indicating the re‐workability of the system. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42924.     

Synthesis and characterization of epoxy with improved thermal remendability based on Diels‐Alder reaction

To produce an epoxy resin with high intrinsic self‐healing efficiency, furfurylglycidyl ether (FGE) was synthesized following a two‐step route. It carried one furan and one epoxide on each of its molecules. Having been cured using N,N′‐(4,4′‐diphenylmethane)bismaleimide and methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride, FGE was then polymerized with two types of intermonomer linkages. That is, thermally reversible Diels–Alder (DA) bonds from the reaction between furan and maleimide groups, and thermally irreversible bonds from the reaction between epoxide and anhydride groups. These two types of bonds provide the polymer with thermal remendability and load‐bearing capacity, respectively. Compared with N,N‐diglycidylfurfurylamine, which was previously developed by the authors and has a similar structure to FGE but with fewer furan rings, FGE can react with maleimide with lower activation energy and the DA bonds formed exhibit higher reversibility. Consequently, improved crack healability of the cured FGE characterized by nearly full recovery of fracture toughness was revealed using double cleavage drilled compression tests. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Recyclable biobased materials based on Diels–Alder cycloaddition

Poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether-furfurylamine (PGFA) containing pendant furan was synthesized, and a series of crosslinked materials with thermally reversible capacity were synthesized through a furan/maleimide Diels–Alder (DA) reaction between PGFA and bismaleimide (BMI). The kinetics of the PGFA/BMI DA reaction were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The reaction conversion rate, the reaction rate constant, and the energy of the DA reaction at different temperatures were calculated. In addition, the retro Diels–Alder (rDA) reaction was studied via ¹H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and in situ FTIR. The occurrence of the retro DA reaction has been characterized clearly. Finally, the mechanical properties of the materials were obtained by dynamic mechanical and tensile tests. The storage modulus decreased obviously when the temperature reached over 90 °C, which proved that the materials were thermally reversible at high temperature. By changing the proportion of the crosslinking agent BMI, the best-performing materials were obtained, and the properties of the materials were basically unchanged after recycling. Thus we have obtained an excellent reusable material. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47352.     

Multifunctional,robust, and self-healable polyurethane coatings cross-linked by Diels–Alder reaction of calix[4] arenes containing furan groups

Self-healing coatings can restore their performance after inevitable damage and are promising in the industry owing to their longer service life and lower repair cost. The use of Diels–Alder reaction bonds is well-known to generate thermally self-healing coatings. In this study, a series of cross-linked self-healing polyurethane (PU) coatings were synthesized through Diels–Alder reactions of p-tert-butyl calix[4]arene bearing furan groups (C4A-FA) as a new chain extender and a bismaleimide (BMI) polyether amine as a Diels–Alder cross-linking agent. Adding C4A-FA to PUs improves their mechanical properties, thermal stability, and self-healing ability. Additionally, these modifications can result in the formation of composite networks with PU that exhibit thermoreversibility and self-healing properties. These changes have led to PUs containing modified calix[4]arene (C4A-FA) having better properties compared with unmodified calix[4]arene PUs. The properties of prepared coatings were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and tensile tests compared with a typical PU sample. The tensile and TGA results show an improvement in the thermal and mechanical properties of the polymers by increasing the C4A-FA content. By replacing 15% of butandiol (BDO) with C4A-FA in PU pure, the tensile strength increased from 1.69 to 5.14 MPa. Furthermore, adding diels–alder (DA) bonds enhanced the tensile strength to 10.49 MPa for PU-C4A15-DA. According to DSC results, a broad endothermic peak from nearly 80–140°C confirmed the retro-DA reactions in the synthesized thermoreversible samples. The healing efficiency of the PU-C4A15-DA sample was obtained at 92.5% (measured by tensile test), which is the highest value among cross-linked self-healing PUs reported in the literature.     

The use of acrylated fatty acid methyl esters as styrene replacements in triglyceride‐based thermosetting polymers

Resins containing plant oil‐based cross‐linkers were studied with two reactive diluents: a styrene and an acrylated fatty acid methyl ester‐based (AFAME) monomer. Acrylated epoxidized soybean oil and maleinated castor oil monoglyceride were bio‐based cross‐linkers used. The viscosity and mechanical properties of the resulting polymers were measured and analyzed. Both bio‐based cross‐linkers prepared using the modified AFAME as diluent had a fairly high viscosity, so blends of AFAME and styrene were needed to meet the viscosity requirements established by the composite industry (<1000 cP at room temperature). In addition, the glass transition temperature (T_g) and stiffness of bio‐based cross‐linker/AFAME polymers were significantly lower than the resin/styrene polymers. Ternary blends of maleinated castor oil monoglyceride with AFAME and styrene improved the mechanical properties to acceptable comparable values (storage modulus at 30°C ～ 1200 MPa and T_g ～ 100°C). The addition of 5 wt% of chemically modified lignin led to an improvement in the mechanical properties of the polymeric matrix but caused an increase in the viscosity. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Removable foams based on an epoxy resin incorporating reversible Diels–Alder adducts

We have successfully incorporated Diels–Alder reversible chemistry into epoxy resins. The Diels–Alder chemistry goes in the forward direction at 60 °C and reverses at or above 90 °C. One resin was formulated with other commercial ingredients into foamed epoxy. The foam, shown to have mechanical properties similar to foams formed with conventional epoxy resins, is being utilized for electronic encapsulation. Because of the built‐in reversible chemistry, the foams can be easily removed by dissolution in 1‐butanol at 90 °C. Removal allows for the rework, upgrading, or dismantlement of the electronic components. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1496–1502, 2002     

Copolymerization of a bisanthracene compound with bismaleimides by Diels–Alder cycloaddition

Four new polymers have been synthesized via succesive Diels–Alder cycloadditions of a bisdiene compound bearing two anthracene groups and four bisdienophiles, all containing bismaleimide functions. The polycondensation reaction was performed in N,N‐dimethylacetamide at 120 °C leading to polymers soluble in polar solvents having molecular weights lower than 6000 g mol^?1. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Photolytic and free‐radical polymerization of cinnamate esters of epoxidized plant oil triglycerides

Epoxidized soybean oil was reacted with cinnamic acid with triphenyl phosphine as a catalyst. Cinnamic acid reacted with 79% of the available epoxy groups, and this yielded cinnamate esters of epoxidized soybean oil (ESOCA). ¹H‐NMR, IR, and mass spectra of the new cinnamate derivatives confirmed the proposed structure. The mass spectra revealed that the average number of cinnamate groups per triglyceride molecule was 3.33. ESOCA could be photopolymerized with UV light. ESOCA could also be homopolymerized into a soft and insoluble polymer by free‐radical initiation and copolymerized with styrene, vinyl acetate, and methyl methacrylate. A mixture of ESOCA with 25 wt % styrene had a viscosity of 410 cP and could be free‐radically polymerized with benzoyl tert‐butyl peroxide at elevated temperatures. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the formation of copolymers. The ESOCA homopolymer and its copolymers all showed a first‐order transition by differential scanning calorimetry around ?1.5°C that was attributable to side‐chain relaxations of the triglyceride fatty acids. The styrene copolymer of ESOCA showed a tan δ peak at 66.6°C. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 3882–3888, 2003     

Viscoelastic properties of branched polyacrylate melts

The viscoelastic properties of poly(n‐butyl acrylate), poly(ethyl acrylate) and poly(methyl acrylate) melts have been studied using samples that varied in both molar mass and the mol% branched repeat units, these properties having been previously determined by gel permeation chromatography and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, respectively. Poly(n‐butyl acrylate) was studied most extensively using seven samples; one sample of poly(n‐butyl acrylate), two samples of poly(ethyl acrylate) and one sample of poly(methyl acrylate) were used to study the effect of side‐group size. Storage and loss moduli were measured over a range of frequency (1 × 10^?3 to 1 × 10² rad s^?1) at temperatures from T_g + 20 °C to T_g + 155 °C and then shifted to form master curves at T_g + 74 °C through use of standard superposition procedures. The plateau regions were not distinct due to the broad molar mass distributions of the polyacrylates. Hence, the upper and lower limits of shear storage modulus from the nominal ‘plateau’ region of the curves for the seven poly(n‐butyl acrylate) samples were used to calculate the chain molar mass between entanglements, M_e, which gave the range 13.0 kg mol^?1 < M_e < 65.0 kg mol^?1. The Graessley–Edwards dimensionless interaction density and dimensionless contour length concentration were calculated for poly(n‐butyl acrylate) using the mean value of plateau modulus (1.2 × 10⁵ Pa) and three different methods for estimation of the Kuhn length; the data fitted closely to the Graessley–Edwards universal plot. The Williams–Landel–Ferry C₁ and C₂ parameters were determined for each of the polyacrylates; the data for the poly(n‐butyl acrylate) samples indicate an overall reduction in C₁ and C₂ as the degree of branching increases. Although the values of C₁ and C₂ were different for poly(n‐butyl acrylate), poly(ethyl acrylate) and poly(methyl acrylate), there is no trend for variation with structure. Thus the viscoelastic properties of the polyacrylate melts are similar to those for other polymer melts and, for the samples investigated, the effect of molar mass appears to dominate the effect of branching. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry