Waste grease to tunable biobased copolymers: brown grease fatty amide analogs as antibacterial epoxy curing agents

Authors: Kazem Rostami, Masoud; RYU, VICTOR - Former ARS Employee; Latona, Nicholas; Mullen, Charles; Uknalis, Joseph; Wagner, Karen; Jones, Kerby; Wyatt, Victor; Fan, Xuetong; Ashby, Richard; Lew, Helen

Submitted to: ACS Sustainable Resource Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2025
Publication Date: 5/6/2025
Citation: Kazem Rostami, M., Ryu, V.N., Latona, N.P., Mullen, C.A., Uknalis, J., Wagner, K., Jones, K.C., Wyatt, V.T., Fan, X., Ashby, R.D., Lew, H.N. 2025. Waste grease to tunable biobased copolymers: brown grease fatty amide analogs as antibacterial epoxy curing agents. ACS Sustainable Resource Management. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssusresmgt.5c00155.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acssusresmgt.5c00155

Interpretive Summary: Waste grease and wood distillates are utilized as sustainable sources of natural building blocks required in the production of curing agents for epoxies. Depending on the ratio of these natural building blocks the resulting epoxies exhibit various levels of stiffness and antibacterial properties. These epoxies withstand 300 degree C and almost uniformly bind to natural cotton fabrics making them wind and waterproof. These desired properties and features open various possibilities for the production of value-added products including but not limited to stain-resistant or self-cleaning personal protective equipment and surface coatings, nonstick antimicrobial wound dressings or bandages, fillers or sealants for electrical waterproofing, and numerous types of flooring materials.

Technical Abstract: Arylated and non-arylated fatty amide analogs derived from waste grease and beechwood creosote are utilized as sustainable epoxy curing agents in this work to produce bio-based thermoset copolymers with tunable mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties. The heat deflection temperature and stiffness of these copolymers increase with their arylation ratio; however, their tensile strength and antibacterial potency maximize at the mid-range. Strikingly, regardless of their arylation ratio, all these fat-based copolymers endure temperatures as high as 300 degree C and almost uniformly bind to natural cotton fabrics making them waterproof. These tunable properties and desirable features open various possibilities for the utilization of recycled fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) in the production of value-added products including but not limited to stain-resistant or self-cleaning personal protective equipment and surface coatings, nonstick antimicrobial wound dressings or bandages, fillers or sealants for electrical waterproofing, and numerous types of composites.