Bio-based epoxy resin from itaconic acid and its thermosets cured with anhydride and comonomers

A novel itaconic acid (IA) based epoxy resin with curable double bonds (EIA) was synthesized by the esterification reaction between IA and epichlorohydrin (ECH). Its chemical structure was confirmed in detail by FT-IR, 1H-NMR and ESI-ION TRAP MS before being cured by methyl hexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA). In order to manipulate the properties of the cured resin, divinyl benzene (DVB) and acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) were employed here to act as comonomers. The results demonstrated that EIA showed a higher epoxy value of 0.625 and higher curing reactivity toward MHHPA compared with the commonly used diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). The glass transition temperature, tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus of the cured EIA without comonomers were 130.4 °C, 87.5 MPa, 152.4 MPa and 3400 MPa, respectively, which were comparable or better than those of DGEBA cured by the same curing agent. After being copolymerized with DVB or AESO, the properties of the cured EIA could be regulated further. The results indicated that EIA has great potential to replace the petroleum-based thermosetting resin, such as DGEBA.