In our world, where environmental factors are taken into consideration more and more, the interest in biomaterials leaves its place to the need and this leads the researchers to search for new materials. The aim of this study is to produce an environmentally friendly, sustainable material with the use of a plant oilbased bio-resin (acrylated epoxidized soybean oil). In this context, bio-composites containing different proportions (from 0 to 100 wt%, in 10% increments) of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and epoxy resin are reinforced with four-ply jute woven fabric and produced by the vacuum infusion method. The bio-composites produced within the scope of the study analyzed physically (fiber weight ratio), mechanically (tensile strength, flexural strength, drop-weight impact resistance, and Charpy impact strength), instrumentally (differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) and morphologically (scanning electron microscopy). According to the results, the tensile and flexural strength values of the composites containing more than 30 wt% AESO resin decrease due to the ductility of the structure; subsequently, composites with AESO content above 50 wt% are found to exhibit superior impact resistance. Composites with pure AESO resin absorb 7 J energy which is almost 3 times higher than pure epoxy composites. The maximum tensile strength (63 MPa) of composites are achieved for 30 wt% AESO content indicating the newly formed hydrogen bonding leading to enhanced fiber-matrix interface. The bio-composites designed and produced in the project have been a promising alternative for various end-use areas, from construction elements to the automotive sector and sports equipment, where human health and environmental elements are considered.

In this study, the effect of curing applied to jute woven fabric (four-layers) reinforced composite materials in which different proportions of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and epoxy resin are used as matrix material, on the thermal, thermo-mechanical and morphological properties of the composite materials are investigated. Composite material production is carried out by vacuum infusion method, whereas curing at 90 °C is done during production and post-curing at 120 °C is performed using a conditioning oven after production. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results show that the storage and loss modulus values of composite materials increase with increasing AESO ratio, while tan delta curves display that the bonds between the fiber and matrix of hybrid samples are stronger than composite materials using a single type of resin. This result is also supported by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The effect of curing (90 °C) and post-curing (120 °C) temperatures on the thermo-mechanical properties of the composite material is more clearly seen in epoxy composite samples whose glass transition temperature is higher than the room temperature. Besides, the decrease in glass transition temperature of the material with the increase in AESO content is obtained from both DMA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) plots.

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