Bio-based Epoxy Resins from Epoxidized Plant Oils and Their Shape Memory Behaviors

In this study, bio‐based epoxy materials containing functionalized plant oil, such as epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and epoxidized linseed oil (ELO), were processed with 4‐methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHPA) as a curing agent. In the presence of tetraethylammonium bromide, the curing reaction of epoxidized plant oil and MHPA proceeded at 130 °C to give transparent plant oil‐based epoxy materials. The resulting bio‐based epoxy materials exhibited relatively soft and flexible characters, due to the aliphatic chains of plant oil. The thermal and mechanical properties of the ESO/MHPA polymers depended on the feed molar ratio of anhydride to oxirane. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength and Young's modulus of the ELO/MHPA polymer increased, compared with those of the ESO/MHPA polymer. The glass transition temperature of the ELO/MHPA polymer was higher than that of the ESO/MHPA polymer, because of the high oxirane number of ELO. Furthermore, the ELO/MHPA polymer showed excellent shape memory property.