Sequential interpenetrating polymer networks produced from vegetable oil based polyurethane and poly(methyl...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) offer unique material properties.
• Polyurethane and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) are common polymers for IPNs.
• Renewable resources are increasingly explored for polymer synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize sequential IPNs using canola oil-based polyurethane and PMMA.
• To compare the properties of these novel IPNs with those derived from castor oil.
• To investigate the influence of polymer chemistry on IPN morphology and mechanical behavior.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of sequential IPNs using canola oil-based polyol and PMMA.
• Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for thermal and mechanical properties.
• Tensile testing for mechanical strength.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for morphology.

Main Results:

• Canola oil-based IPNs exhibited accelerated polymerization and improved phase mixing due to primary functional groups.
• IPNs with >75 wt% PMMA showed comparable mechanical properties to castor oil-based IPNs, outperforming constituent polymers.
• Lower PMMA content (<65 wt%) resulted in rigid plastic behavior for canola oil IPNs versus soft rubber for castor oil IPNs.

Conclusions:

• Canola oil-based IPNs demonstrate tunable mechanical properties based on PMMA content.
• These high-performance IPNs from renewable resources are promising alternatives for various applications.
• The study highlights the impact of polyol chemistry on IPN characteristics and performance.