Exploiting epoxy-based monomers from biobased ferulic acid and furfuryl amine for a new set of bio-derived materials

This study investigates the thermal curing behavior and thermo-mechanical properties of bio-based thermosets generated from epoxy monomers derived from furfuryl amine and ferulic acid, in conjunction with the bio-based carboxylic acid, PRIPOL 1017. The synthesis involves use of furfuryl amine and ferulic acid to develop epoxy monomers, enhancing the potential use of these bio-based platform molecules. The thermal curing process was thoroughly examined to understand the kinetics and mechanisms involved. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and rheology were employed to monitor the progress of the curing reaction and to characterize the chemical changes occurring during the process. The influence of curing parameters such as temperature and time on the curing kinetics of the cured networks was systematically investigated. Furthermore, the thermo-mechanical properties of the cured epoxy networks were comprehensively evaluated. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and DSC were conducted to assess the relationship between the chemical structure of the monomers and the resulting thermo-mechanical properties of the cured networks. This provided a valuable insight into structure-property relationships of the bio-based thermosetting materials. Overall, this study highlights the potential of ferulic acid diepoxy and diglycidyl furfurylamine for the development of sustainable thermosetting materials.