Low‐viscosity and soluble phthalonitrile resin with improved thermostability for organic wave‐transparent composites

High processing viscosity and poor solubility limit the application of heterocyclic polymers for fabricating organic wave‐transparent composites for aerospace applications. In this paper, a novel resin, poly(phthalazinone ether bisphenol fluorene) encapped with phthalonitrile (PPEBF‐Ph), was synthesized and used as the matrix. Biphenol‐based phthalonitrile monomer BP‐Ph was also synthesized and blended with PPEBF‐Ph to further lower the processing viscosity. Solubility tests showed that the resin was soluble in dimethylformamide, N,N‐dimethyl acetamide, N‐methylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, chloroform, and other solvents. Differential scanning calorimetry and rheological studies revealed that the mixed resins exhibited low processing viscosity and a wide processing window below the gel temperature. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the cured resins were stable below 510–530 °C under nitrogen atmosphere after 6 h of curing (decreased by 40–60% compared with previous reports on phthalonitrile resin). In air, the char yields of the resins reached 20–30% when heated at 800 °C. The composites were reinforced by a quartz fiber cloth and exhibited a dielectric constant of 2.94–3.27 in an electromagnetic field with frequency ranging from 8 to 18 GHz. Retention of the bending modulus exceeded 70% at 400 °C according to dynamic mechanical analysis, indicating excellent mechanical stability was obtained. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45976.     

Fatty acid‐based comonomers as styrene replacements in soybean and castor oil‐based thermosetting polymers

In this study, a fatty acid‐based comonomer is employed as a styrene replacement for the production of triglyceride‐based thermosetting resins. Styrene is a hazardous pollutant and a volatile organic compound. Given their low volatility, fatty acid monomers, such as methacrylated lauric acid (MLA), are attractive alternatives in reducing or eliminating styrene usage. Different triglyceride‐derived cross‐linkers resins were produced for this purpose: acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO), maleinated AESO (MAESO), maleinated soybean oil monoglyceride (SOMG/MA) and maleinated castor oil monoglyceride (COMG/MA). The mechanical properties of the bio‐based polymers and the viscosities of bio‐based resins were analyzed. The viscosities of the resins using MLA were higher than that of resins with styrene. Decreasing the content of MLA increased the glass transition temperature (T_g). In fact, the T_g of bio‐based resin/MLA polymers were on the order of 60°C, which was significantly lower than the bio‐based resin/styrene polymers. Ternary blends of SOMG/MA and COMG/MA with MLA and styrene improved the mechanical properties and reduced the resin viscosity to acceptable values. Lastly, butyrated kraft lignin was incorporated into the bio‐based resins, ultimately leading to improved mechanical properties of this thermoset but with unacceptable increases in viscosity. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Synthesis and properties of a novel bio‐based benzoxazine resin with excellent low‐temperature curing ability

A novel bio‐based benzoxazine resin (diphenolic acid/furfurylamine benzoxazine resin, PDPA‐F‐Boz) was prepared by using bio‐based diphenolic acid, furfurylamine and paraformaldehyde as raw materials. The structure of DPA‐F‐Boz monomer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR, and then its curing reaction and the thermal stability of the cured PDPA‐F‐Boz were analyzed. Compared with the traditional fossil‐based benzoxazine (bisphenol A/aniline benzoxazine, BPA‐A‐Boz) and the bio‐based benzoxazine (diphenolic acid/aniline benzoxazine, DPA‐A‐Boz), DPA‐F‐Boz monomer showed the lowest curing temperature, and PDPA‐F‐Boz had the highest residual char ratio at 800 °C and the lowest degradation rate at the peak temperature. Meanwhile, the total heat release, peak heat release rate and heat release capacity of PDPA‐F‐Boz were much lower than those of PBPA‐A‐Boz and PDPA‐A‐Boz. Thus, PDPA‐F‐Boz showed excellent low‐temperature curing ability and thermal stability. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Crosslinking behavior of polyarylene ether nitrile terminated with phthalonitrile (PEN‐t‐Ph)/1,3,5‐Tri‐(3,4‐dicyanophenoxy) benzene (TPh) system and its enhanced thermal stability

A novel polyarylene ether nitrile terminated with phthalonitrile (PEN‐t‐Ph) was synthesized by a simple solution polycondensation of biphenyl and hydroquinone with 2,6‐dichlorobenzonitrile, followed by termination with 4‐nitrophthalonitrile. The PEN‐t‐Ph/1,3,5‐Tri‐(3,4‐dicyanophenoxy) benzene (TPh) system was prepared by cure treatment. The phthalonitrile on PEN‐t‐Ph were thermally crosslinked with TPh in the presence of diamino diphenyl sulfone through cure treatment up to 280–340°C, which led to the transformation from thermoplastic polymers to thermosetting polymers. This is because the phthalonitrile on the PEN‐t‐Ph can react with TPh by forming phthalocyanine ring. The glass transition temperatures of the PEN‐t‐Ph/TPh system increased from 152.4°C to 194.7°C, and the initial decomposition temperature (ranging from 475.3°C to 544.0°C) increased by 68°C after thermal curing. Therefore, their thermal properties can be greatly enhanced by crosslinking. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1363‐1368, 2013     

Preparation and properties of bisphenol A‐based bis‐phthalonitrile composite laminates

A series of bisphenol A (BPA)‐based 2,2‐bis‐[4‐(3,4‐dicyanophenoxy)phenyl]propane (BAPh) prepolymers and polymers were prepared using BPA as a novel curing agent. Ultraviolet–visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectrum were used to study the polymerization reaction mechanism of the BAPh/BPA polymers. The curing behaviors were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic rheological analysis, the results indicated that the BAPh/BPA prepolymers exhibit large processing windows (109.5–148.5°C) and low complex viscosity (0.1–1 Pa·s) at moderate temperature, respectively. Additionally, the BAPh/BPA/glass fiber (GF) composite laminates were manufactured and investigated. The flexural strength and modulus of the composite laminates are 548.7–632.8 MPa and 25.7–33.2 GPa, respectively. The thermal stabilities of BAPh/BPA/GF composite laminates were studied by thermogravimetry analysis. The temperatures at 5% weight loss (T_5%) of the composite laminates are 508.5–528.7°C in nitrogen and 508.1–543.2°C in air. In conclusion, the BAPh/BPA systems can be used as superior matrix materials for numerous advanced composite applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Improving the curing process and thermal stability of phthalonitrile resin via novel mixed curing agents

High curing temperature (including post‐curing temperature) and long curing time of phthalonitrile resins make them thermally stable but difficult to process. In this paper, novel mixed curing agents (CuCl/4,4′‐diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS) and ZnCl₂/DDS) were firstly designed for solving these problems. Bisphenol‐based phthalonitrile monomer (BP‐Ph; melting point: 228–235 °C) was synthesized and used as the curing precursor. Differential scanning calorimetry results indicated that BP‐Ph cured with CuCl/DDS and ZnCl₂/DDS exhibited curing temperatures close to the melting point of BP‐Ph with curing ending temperatures of 225.4 and 287.1 °C, respectively. Rheologic investigations demonstrated obvious curing reactions of BP‐Ph occurred with the mixed curing agents at 220 °C. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that BP‐Ph cured by CuCl/DDS or ZnCl₂/DDS maintained 95% mass at 573 or 546 °C, respectively, at a post‐curing temperature of 350 °C for 2 h. Reasonable long‐term thermo‐oxidative stability was also demonstrated. When the post‐curing temperature decreased to 290 °C, char yield at 800 °C of BP‐Ph cured by CuCl/DDS was 77.0%, suggesting the curing procedure can be milder when using mixed curing agents. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and properties of poly(aryl ether ketone)‐based phthalonitrile resins

A series of poly(aryl ether ketone) oligomers containing phthalonitrile were synthesized by a direct solution polycondensation, and characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed the oligomers had low melting points and large processing windows (103–124°C) in the presence of bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]sulfone. The uncured synthesized oligomers had good solubility while the cured samples became insoluble in common organic solvents. Isothermal rheometric analysis showed the rate of phthalonitrile polymerization could be controlled easily by varying concentration of curing additive and curing temperature, which indicated that the oligomers possessed good processability. Gel content measurements demonstrated that the cured oligomers had high crosslinking density with the significantly high gel content over 90.1%. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated the oligomeric phthalonitrile resins according to our curing procedure possessed good thermal mechanical properties. Thermogravimetric analysis of cured resins showed the highest temperature for 5% weight loss reached 515 and 516°C under nitrogen and air, respectively, and the char yield was over 67% at 800°C, revealing that the phthalonitrile resins possessed excellent thermal and thermo‐oxidative stability. This kind of the oligomeric phthalonitrile resins may be used as a good candidate for high‐performance polymeric materials. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:1695–1703, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis of rosin‐based flexible anhydride‐type curing agents and properties of the cured epoxy

BACKGROUND: Although rosin acid derivatives have received attention in polymer synthesis in recent years, to the best of our knowledge, they have rarely been employed as epoxy curing agents. The objective of the study reported here was to synthesize rosin‐based flexible anhydride‐type curing agents and demonstrate that the flexibility of a cured epoxy resin can be manipulated by selection of rosin‐based anhydride‐type curing agents with appropriate molecular rigidity/flexibility. RESULTS: Maleopimarate‐terminated low molecular weight polycaprolactones (PCLs) were synthesized and studied as anhydride‐type curing agents for epoxy curing. The chemical structures of the products were confirmed using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Mechanical and thermal properties of the cured epoxy resins were studied. The results indicate that both the epoxy/anhydride equivalent ratio and the molecular weight of PCL diol play important roles in the properties of cured resins. CONCLUSION: Rosin‐based anhydride‐terminated polyesters could be used as bio‐based epoxy curing agents. A broad spectrum of mechanical and thermal properties of the cured epoxy resins can be obtained by varying the molecular length of the polyester segment and the epoxy/curing agent ratio. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Stereocomplexed polylactides (Neo‐PLA) as high‐performance bio‐based polymers: their formation,properties, and application

Polymeric materials prepared from renewable natural resources are now being accepted as “bio‐based polymers”, because they are superior to the conventional petroleum‐based polymers in reducing the emission of carbon dioxide. Among them, poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) prepared by fermentation and polymerization is paid an immediate attention. Although PLLA exhibits a broad range of physico‐chemical properties, its thermal and mechanical properties are somewhat poorer for use as ordinary structural materials. For improving these inferior properties, a stereocomplex form consisting of PLLA and its enantiomer poly(D ‐lactide) (PDLA) has high potential because of showing high melting nature (230 °C). It can be formed by simple polymer blend of PLLA and PDLA or more easily with stereoblock polylactides (sb‐PLA) which are PLLA/PDLA block copolymers. These novel PLA polymers, named “Neo‐PLA”, can provide a wide range of properties that have never be attained with single PLLA. Neo‐PLA retains sustainability or bio‐based nature, because both monomers L ‐ and D ‐lactic acids are manufactured from starch by fermentation. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Cure characterization of the ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of linseed oil‐based thermosetting resins

BACKGROUND: Bio‐based polymers from vegetable oils are excellent alternatives to petroleum‐based resins for both environmental and economic reasons. A detailed understanding of the cure behavior of bio‐based polymers is essential to optimize cure schedules and the final properties of the polymers. In this work, the cure of newly developed linseed oil‐based thermosetting resins, synthesized using Grubbs' first‐generation catalyst and a bis‐norbornadiene cross‐linking agent by ring‐opening metathesis polymerization, is characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and parallel plate oscillatory rheometry. RESULTS: Experimental results reveal that the rate of cure increases and the gel time decreases with increasing cross‐linker loading; however, the activation energy of the cure does not vary systematically with cross‐linker loading. Phenomenological reaction models are used to describe the dynamic DSC measurements and to determine the kinetic parameters which facilitate cure predictions under isothermal conditions. CONCLUSION: This work demonstrates that the cure kinetics of a linseed oil‐based thermosetting resin can be controlled by varying the cross‐linker loading. Furthermore, the kinetic parameters and cure rates at any cross‐linker loading for this system can be described by a simple autocatalytic reaction model which facilitates development of cure schedules. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Studies of fluorine‐containing bismaleimide resins part I: Synthesis and characteristics of model compounds

A series of fluorine‐containing bismaleimide (FBMI) monomers are synthesized by a 3‐step reaction for using as the applications of low‐k materials. The synthesized FBMI monomers are characterized by the ¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁹F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and element analysis. These FBMI monomers react with free radical initiator or self‐cure to prepare FBMI‐polymers. All the self‐curing FBMI resins have the glass transition temperatures (T_g) in the range of 128–141°C and show the 5% weight loss temperatures (T_5%) of 235–293°C in nitrogen atmosphere. The higher heat resistance of self‐curing FBMI resin relative to FBMI‐homopolymer is due to its higher crosslinking density. The FBMI resins exhibit improved dielectric properties as compared with commercial bismaleimide (BMI) resins with the dielectric constants (D_k) lower than 2.49, which is related to the low polarizability of the C? F bond and the large free volume of CF₃ groups in the polymers. Besides, the flame retardancy of all these FBMI resins could be enhanced via the introduction of Br‐atom. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Phosphorus‐containing epoxy resin for an electronic application

A phosphorus‐containing epoxy resin, 6‐H‐dibenz[c,e][1,2] oxaphosphorin‐6‐[2,5‐bis(oxiranylmethoxy)phenyl]‐6‐oxide (DOPO epoxy resin), was synthesized and cured with phenolic novolac (Ph Nov), 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS), or dicyandiamide (DICY). The reactivity of these three curing agents toward DOPO epoxy resin was found in the order of DICY > DDS > Ph Nov. Thermal stability and the weight loss behavior of the cured polymers were studied by TGA. The phosphorus‐containing epoxy resin showed lower weight loss temperature and higher char yield than that of bisphenol‐A based epoxy resin. The high char yields and limiting oxygen index (LOI) values as well as excellent UL‐94 vertical burn test results of DOPO epoxy resin indicated the flame‐retardant effectiveness of phosphorus‐containing epoxy resins. The DOPO epoxy resin was investigated as a reactive flame‐retardant additive in an electronic encapsulation application. Owing to the rigid structure of DOPO and the pendant P group, the resulting phosphorus‐containing encapsulant exhibited better flame retardancy, higher glass transition temperature, and thermal stability than the regular encapsulant containing a brominated epoxy resin. High LOI value and UL‐94 V‐0 rating could be achieved with a phosphorus content of as low as 1.03% (comparable to bromine content of 7.24%) in the cured epoxy, and no fume and toxic gas emission were observed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 353–361, 1999     

A novel addition curable novolac bearing phthalonitrile groups: synthesis,characterization and thermal properties

Summary Novel phenolic novolac resins, bearing phthalonitrile groups anchored to benzene ring through phenyl azo linkage were realized by the coupling reaction between novolac and phthalonitrile diazonium salt. The diazo-coupling occurred to a maximun of about 61%. The apparent molecular weight, determined form GPC showed a downward drift with increase in degree of phthalonitrile substitution. Analysis using DSC technique indicated that the resin underwent curing in a temperature range form 290 to 320 °C . The curing occurred via addition polymerization of phthalonitrile groups. The thermal stability and anaerobic char yield of the polymers increased proportion to the crosslinking. The probable cure mechanics were discussed.     

Branched phenyl‐s‐triazine moieties to enhance thermal properties of phthalonitrile thermosets

Heat‐resistant materials have made tremendous progress in marine, aerospace and microelectronic fields. Herein, a new class of phthalonitrile resins, branched poly(biphenyl ether triphenyl‐s‐triazine) phthalonitriles, were successfully synthesized via a two‐step, one‐pot reaction, on the basis of 2,4,6‐tris(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine and 4,4′‐biphenol. 4,4′‐Diaminodiphenylsulfone was employed to facilitate the curing reaction, and successful realization of curing behavior was concluded from rheological and differential scanning calorimetric studies, indicating the obtained resins possess favorable processability. The relationship between concentration of reactants and properties of the resins was systematically studied. After thermal curing, the E‐glass fiber‐reinforced composite, prepared with a concentration of reactants of 0.15 g mL^?1, shows an admirable glass transition temperature of 480 °C and commendable thermal stability with 5% weight loss temperature in nitrogen of 563 °C, suggesting that the improvement of the thermal properties stems from the branched structure and the phenyl‐s‐triazine units. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of methacrylated star‐shaped poly(lactic acid) employing core molecules with different hydroxyl groups

A set of novel bio‐based star‐shaped thermoset resins was synthesized via ring‐opening polymerization of lactide and employing different multi‐hydroxyl core molecules, including ethylene glycol, glycerol, and erythritol. The branches were end‐functionalized with methacrylic anhydride. The effect of the core molecule on the melt viscosity, the curing behavior of the thermosets and also, the thermomechanical properties of the cured resins were investigated. Resins were characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹³C‐NMR, and ¹H‐NMR to confirm the chemical structure. Rheological analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis were performed to obtain the melt viscosity and the curing behavior of the studied star‐shaped resins. Thermomechanical properties of the cured resins were also measured by dynamic mechanical analysis. The erythritol‐based resin had superior thermomechanical properties compared to the other resins and also, lower melt viscosity compared to the glycerol‐based resin. These are of desired characteristics for a resin, intended to be used as a matrix for the structural composites. Thermomechanical properties of the cured resins were also compared to a commercial unsaturated polyester resin and the experimental results indicated that erythritol‐based resin with 82% bio‐based content has superior thermomechanical properties, compared to the commercial polyester resin. Results of this study indicated that although core molecule with higher number of hydroxyl groups results in resins with better thermomechanical properties, number of hydroxyl groups is not the only governing factor for average molecular weight and melt viscosity of the uncured S‐LA resins. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45341.     

Low‐Viscosity Limonene Dimethacrylate as a Bio‐Based Alternative to Bisphenol A‐Based Acrylic Monomers for Photocurable Thermosets and 3D Printing

Bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate (BisGMA) is well established as photocurable resin in dental restoratives and 3D printing. At present there are raising concerns regarding the estrogen‐mimicking bisphenol A (BPA) contamination of health care and consumer products. It is an important challenge to substitute BPA‐based resins for bio‐based cycloaliphatic monomers while lowering resin viscosity without sacrificing high stiffness and glass temperature. Particularly high viscosity is critical for 3D printing by photopolymerization. Unlike BPA the cyclic monoterpene limonene, extracted from citrus fruit peels, is safe in human uses. Herein it is reported on limonene‐based dimethacrylate (LDMA) tailored for 3D printing application and derived from limonene oxide (LO) and methacrylic acid (MA). Residual MA is converted into glycerol dimethacrylate (GDMA) serving as an in situ reactive diluent. The influences of temperature, catalysts, MA/LO stoichiometry, and the addition of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and magnesium oxide on the LDMA‐based resin performance are elucidated. As compared to BisGMA (560 Pa s) LDMA‐based resins exhibit significantly lower viscosity (5–117 Pa s) governed by the MA/LDMA molar ratio and the GMA addition. At 30 wt% LDMA content photocured resin yields thermosets having high Young’s Modulus (3.4–3.7 GPa), tensile strength (88–98 MPa), and glass transition temperature (119–135 °C), surpassing the performance of the corresponding BisGMA‐based resins.     

Copolymerization modification: improving the processability and thermal properties of phthalonitrile resins with novel comonomers

Two novel tetrahydrophthalic anhydride end‐capped imide compounds (THAN and THBN) with high thermal stability were synthesized to promote the curing reaction of 1,3‐bis(3,4‐dicyanophenoxy)benzene (3BOCN), and to study the effects of comonomer structure on the curing behavior and thermal performance of phthalonitrile resins. The curing behaviors of THAN/3BOCN and THBN/3BOCN blends with various molar ratios were investigated using rheological analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, suggesting a wide processing window. Dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the cured resins possessed high glass transition temperatures (> 500 °C), and superior thermal and long‐term thermo‐oxidative stabilities with weight retention of 95% ranging from about 544 to 558 °C in both nitrogen and air. All these results indicated that the processability and thermal properties of phthalonitrile resins could be improved further by modifying the structure of comonomer in this kind of curing system. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis,curing behavior and thermal properties of silicon‐containing hybrid polymers with Si−C≡C units

Three novel kinds of linear silicon‐containing hybrid polymers with Si?C≡C units were synthesized by polycondensation reactions using the Grignard reagent method. All the polymers were thermosetting, highly heat‐resistant, moldable and easily soluble in common organic solvents. The structure, curing behavior, thermal and oxidative properties were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The results obtained can provide theoretical guidance for determining the curing of the resin system. In addition, the cured polymers exhibit excellent thermal and oxidative stabilities with temperatures of 5% weight loss (T_d5) above 480 °C and 450 °C in nitrogen and air respectively; the residues at 1000 °C were above 70.0% and 45.0% respectively. The thermal and oxidative stabilities of the polymers are attributed to a crosslinking reaction between the Si?H and C≡C bonds or C≡C bonds. These polymers have the potential for use as high‐temperature‐resistant resins and ceramic precursors. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Renewably sourced phenolic resins from lignin bio‐oil

Traditional lignin pyrolysis generates a bio‐oil with a complex mixture of alkyl‐functionalized guaiacol and syringol monomers that have limited utility to completely replace phenol in resins. In this work, formate assisted fast pyrolysis (FAsP) of lignin yielded a bio‐oil consisting of alkylated phenol compounds, due to deoxyhydrogenation, that was used to synthesize phenol/formaldehyde resins. A solvent extraction method was developed to concentrate the phenolics in the extract to yield a phenol rich monomer mixture. Phenolic resins were synthesized using phenol (phenol resin), FAsP bio‐oil (oil resin), and an extract mimic (mimic resin) that was prepared to resemble the extract after further purification. All three phenolic sources could synthesize novolac resins with reactive sites remaining for subsequent resin curing. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis of the three resins revealed similar thermal and decomposition behavior of phenol and the mimic resins, while the oil resin was less stable. Resins were cured with hexamethylenetetramine and the mimic resin demonstrated improved curing energies compared to the oil resin. The adhesive strength of the mimic resin was found to be superior to that of the oil resins. These results confirmed that extracting a mixture of substituted aromatics from FAsP bio‐oil could synthesize resins with properties similar to those from phenol and improved over the parent bio‐oil. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44827.     

Mesua ferrea L. seed oil‐based epoxy resins

Exhaustion of fossil fuels, tremendous increase of materials demand, and unpredictable prices of petroleum based products urge upon the sustainable development. Three different epoxy resins have been synthesized from monoglyceride of Mesua ferrea L. seed oil and epichlorohydrin with and without other dihydroxy compound like tetrabromobisphenol‐A (TBPA) and bisphenol‐A (BPA). The synthesized epoxy resin were characterized by measurement of physical properties like epoxy equivalent, viscosity, hydroxyl value, saponification value, acid value, etc., and spectroscopic techniques like FTIR and ¹H NMR. High thermostability with initial decompositions temperature of 225–265°C was observed for the cured resins and 75 mol % BPA based resin exhibits the highest thermostability. Newtonian flow behavior was observed for all resins as indicated by the rheometric study (CVO 100). The flame retardency rating of TBPA based epoxy was found to be V1 as tested by UL 94. The performance characteristics as coating materials were studied by the measurement of gloss, impact resistance, scratch hardness, tensile strength, elongation at break, adhesive strength, and chemical resistance. The results indicate the suitability of the synthesized resins as coating materials. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010