Dual cross-linked polymer networks
(DCPNs) are novel copolymers
containing two different cross-linking polymers with superior comprehensive
properties. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of
preparation of novel castor oil-based DCPNs material. First, two novel
biobased reactive monomers of epoxidized castor oil (ECO) and ricinoleic
acid epoxy (RAE), containing both hydroxy and epoxy groups, were synthesized
from castor oil (CO). Their chemical structures were characterized
by Fourier transforminfrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 1H-nuclear
magnetic resonance (1H NMR) analysis. Both hydroxy and
epoxy groups can react with the isocyanate groups of toluene-2,4-diisocyanate
(TDI), and then two renewable resource-based DCPNs of RAE/TDI and
ECO/TDI, containing both polyurethane (PU) and polyoxazolidinone (POXDN)
molecular structures, were designed and prepared. The tensile properties,
gel content (GC), hardness, fractured surface morphologies, thermostabilities,
and dynamic mechanical and thermal properties of these renewable resource-based
copolymers were all investigated. Results show that the tensile properties,
GC, hardness, and glass transition temperature (T
g) of the fabricated DCPNs were superior to those of the
pure CO/TDI copolymerized system. The fabricated DCPNs, particularly
RAE/TDI, were found to have good tensile strength of 12.47 MPa and
the highest elongation at break of 154.99%, and its thermostability
was also increased greatly compared with that of the pure CO/TDI copolymerized
system.