abiosus e.V. Conferences

Chain Extension Reactions of Unsaturated Polyesters with Epoxidized Soybean Oil

Abstract submitted to "2nd Workshop on Fats and Oils as Renewable Feedstock for the Chemical Industry "

Ediz Taylan

etaylan at boun dot edu dot tr

Bogazici University Chemistry Department

Selim Kusefoglu

kusef at boun dot edu dot tr

Bogazici University Chemistry Department

Keywords: unsaturated polyester; chain extension; epoxy group, mechanical properties, crosslinking.

Presentation preference: poster

Unsaturated polyesters were chain extended with epoxidized soybean oil. The molecular weight increase was monitored using Gel Permeation Chromatography. The obtained polymer was characterized by FTIR and 1H-NMR, styrene solubility and gel time. The chain extended polyester was then diluted with styrene and cured with a radical initiator and compared to a commercial reference polyester. Thermal and mechanical properties of the cured polyester were characterized by DMA and TGA. The results show that unsaturated polyesters can be chain extended with epoxidized soybean oil which substantially shortens the condensation polymerization during manufacture, without compromising their thermal and mechanical properties.