ARS | Publication request: GREEN COMPOSITES FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES: PREPARATION OF EPOXIDIZED SOYBEAN OIL AND FLAX FIBER COMPOSITES

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 29, 2006
Publication Date: February 12, 2006
Citation: Liu, Z., Erhan, S.Z., Akin, D.E., Barton II, F.E. 2006. Green composites from renewable resources: Preparation of epoxidized soybean oil and flax fiber composites. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 54:2134-2137.

Interpretive Summary: Worldwide potential demands for replacing petroleum-derived materials with renewable plant-based ones in production of valuable materials are quite significant from the social and environmental viewpoints. Natural oils are expected to be inexpensive renewable resources. They are ideal alternative chemical feedstock. The purpose of this work is to prepare “green” composites from soybean oil and flax fiber, which is a natural fiber. The effects of fiber loading, fiber length and etc. on the mechanical properties of composites are studied. The results show the green composites with relatively strong mechanical properties. These materials may show promise as alternative to petrochemical polymers.

Technical Abstract: In recent years there has been considerable interest in using natural plant fibers as reinforcements for plastics. The motivation includes cost, performance-enhancement, weight-reduction, and environment. High-performance of flax fiber could potentially substitute glass or carbon fibers as reinforcements for plastics. In this study, we reported the “green” composites from mixture of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and epoxy resin, 1,1,1-tris(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethane triglycidyl ether (THPE-GE), which are modified with a gelling agent to solidify the materials until curing occurs. The high strength composites are formed through flax fiber reinforcement. The effects of curing agents, ESO/THPE-GE ratio, and fiber loading on mechanical properties of composites are studied and reported.