Comparative studies of composites based on commercial epoxy resin with renewable resources-based tetra functional epoxy resin

This research distinguishes itself by synthesizing a novel epoxy resin from three distinct renewable resources, moving beyond the conventional reliance on a single source found in many studies. The innovative epoxy resin was synthesized through a chemical reaction involving cardanol, resorcinol, furfural, and epichlorohydrin. Notably, resorcinol and a component of cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) cardanol were incorporated as a partial substitute for up to 50% of the phenol in the synthesis process. This multifaceted approach not only enhances sustainability but also demonstrates the potential of eco-friendly materials in developing advanced composites while optimizing the resin performance characteristics. The modified tetrafunctional epoxy resin based composites were prepared from sustainable synthesized bio-based epoxy resin. This study compared the varied characterization data of cardanol-based tetra functional epoxy resin with conventional epoxy resin using Aromatic and aliphatic hardeners such as triethylenetetramine, phenalkamine, low viscous phenalkamine, and polyamide. The adhesive strength and curing properties of a modified epoxy resin with hardeners are examined in this study. Strong adhesive bonding of matrix with wood and metal substrates was demonstrated by lap shear strength (LSS). The Brookfield viscosity, volatile content, epoxy equivalent weight (EEW), hydrolyzable chlorine content, weight average molecular weight, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the tetrafunctional modified epoxy resin. Thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed a cure index and decomposition temperature of resin systems. Chemical resistance, and mechanical properties (Rockwell hardness, Izod impact strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength) were determined for every composite.