A nonvolatile, vegetable‐oil based chemical, acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) was investigated as a replacement of volatile and toxic styrene in one of commercial UPE resins styrene‐(PG‐MA) that is a mixture of styrene and a UPE plastic from propylene glycol and maleic anhydride (PG‐MA). Neither AESO nor PG‐MA was capable of forming a strong matrix, respectively, for glass fiber‐reinforced composites. However, a mixture of AESO and PG‐MA resulted in glass fiber‐reinforced AESO‐(PG‐MA) composites that were comparable or even superior to those from styrene‐(PG‐MA) in terms of the flexural and tensile properties. Effects of AESO contents on the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of the glass fiber‐reinforced AESO‐(PG‐MA) composites were investigated. Resin viscosity and resin pot life as a function of temperature were studied. The curing mechanism of the AESO‐(PG‐MA) resins is also discussed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45056.

Existing pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) are mostly based on petrochemical‐based polymers. This study reveals a new class of bio‐based polymers that can be used as PSA. The polymers are hydroxyl‐containing polyesters from the step‐growth polymerization of epoxidized oleic acid (EOA), an AB‐type monomer containing both a carboxylic acid group (A) and an epoxy group (B). The monomer is derived from epoxidation of renewable methyl oleate followed by selective hydrolysis of the ester group. The polymers (PEOA) of EOA were characterized for their chemical structure and molecular weight. The PEOA after being cured with a very small amount of a crosslinking agent could serve as a PSA with high peel strength, high tack force, superior shear resistance, excellent aging resistance, and excellent thermal stability. The PSA contains 99 wt% of green renewable materials. The PSA were also characterized for their viscoelastic properties and thermal properties.

Nonvolatile and nonhazardous acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) was investigated as a replacement for hazardous styrene in a commercial unsaturated polyester (UPE) resin [a mixture of styrene and a dicyclopentadiene (DCPD)‐modified UPE (DCPD–UPE)]. DCPD–UPE was prepared from ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, maleic anhydride, and DCPD. Mixtures of AESO and DCPD–UPE [AESO–(DCPD–UPE) resins] were found to be homogeneous, easily pourable solutions at room temperature. The glass‐fiber‐reinforced composites from the AESO–(DCPD–UPE) resins were comparable or even superior to those from the mixture of styrene and DCPD–UPE in terms of the flexural and tensile strengths. The viscoelastic properties of the cured AESO–(DCPD–UPE) resins and the corresponding glass‐fiber‐reinforced composites were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis. The viscosities and pot lives of the AESO–(DCPD–UPE) resins as a function of the temperature were studied. The curing mechanism of the AESO–(DCPD–UPE) resins is discussed. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46212.

Commercial unsaturated polyester (UPE) resins typically contain a high amount of volatile toxic styrene. A non‐volatile acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) was found to be an excellent replacement of styrene in a commercially available UPE resin [designated as Styrene‐(PG‐IPA‐MA)] that is derived from propylene glycol (PG), isophthalic acid (IPA), and maleic anhydride (MA) in terms of the mechanical properties of the resulting kenaf fiber‐reinforced composites. The AESO‐(PG‐IPA‐MA) resins had low viscosity and long pot life below 70°C for a typical fiber‐reinforced composite application. AESO and PG‐IPA‐MA were not able to form a strong polymer matrix individually for fiber‐reinforced composites. However, a combination of AESO and PG‐IPA‐MA saw strong synergistic effects between them. The flexural, tensile, and water absorption properties of kenaf fiber‐reinforced composites made from AESO‐(PG‐IPA‐MA) resins were comparable with or even superior to those from the Styrene‐(PG‐IPA‐MA) resin. The AESO/(PG‐IPA‐MA) weight ratio was investigated for maximizing the mechanical properties of the kenaf fiber‐reinforced composites. The curing mechanism of the AESO‐(PG‐IPA‐MA) resins is discussed in detail. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43052.

Novel pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) were developed from renewable methyl oleate (MO) and fully evaluated for their peel strength, tack force and shear resistance. MO was epoxidized and selectively hydrolyzed on the ester group to form epoxidized oleic acid (EOA) that is a bifunctional monomer containing both a carboxylic acid group and an epoxy group. EOA was step‐growth polymerized to form a hydroxyl‐containing polyester, which was then cured in the presence of a small amount of a polyfunctional epoxide [epoxidized soybean oil or trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TMPTGE)] to afford PSAs. The PSAs from the polyester cured with TMPTGE exhibited high peel strength (2.4 N/10 mm), high tack force (5.8 N), and sufficient shear resistance (9.0 min). The PSAs can be fully based on renewable natural materials, and their preparations are environmentally friendly. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41143.