Functional cellulose-derived epoxy cross-linked with BADGE resin to construct high-performance epoxy composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Bio-based epoxy materials are gaining attention but balancing structure and properties is challenging.
• Cellulose is an abundant and sustainable resource with potential for material enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a cellulose-based epoxy (PHPCEP) with cooperative "soft" and "hard" structures.
• To improve the toughness, heat resistance, mechanical strength, glass transition temperature, thermal stability, and solvent resistance of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) composites.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of varying wt% of PHPCEP into BADGE composites.
• Evaluation of mechanical properties including flexural strength, tensile strength, and impact strength.
• Analysis of dynamic mechanical properties and thermal stability through heat degradation studies.

Main Results:

• 5 wt% PHPCEP/BADGE composites showed maximum flexural strength (121.9 MPa) and tensile strength (71.4 MPa).
• PHPCEP incorporation led to significant improvements: 18.8% higher flexural strength, 16.1% higher tensile strength, 21.5% higher glass transition temperature, and 254.3% higher impact strength (at 10 wt%).
• PHPCEP/BADGE materials exhibited superior stiffness, toughness, and thermal stability compared to neat BADGE due to strong PHPCEP-BADGE interactions.

Conclusions:

• PHPCEP is an effective high-performance additive for enhancing the properties of epoxy composites.
• This work demonstrates an efficient utilization of cellulose for developing advanced composite materials.
• The developed PHPCEP/BADGE composites offer a promising sustainable alternative to conventional epoxy resins.