Synthesis and Characterization of Thermosetting Furan-Based Epoxy Materials With Improved Thermo-Mechanical Properties

Renewable alternatives to petroleum−based thermosetting polymers have drawn significant research attention due to their potential economic and ecological impact. For this, they must mimic the rigid, phenylic structure of high performance thermoset monomers. Rigid and naturally plentiful in cellulose and hemicellulose, furan is one promising candidate for such phenyl replacement. However, no direct comparison of furan and phenyl−based epoxy monomers has appeared in literature. In this work, parallel furan− and phenyl−based epoxy monomers were synthesized, blended with DGEBA and amine−based curing agents, cured, and characterized. By employing dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to investigate their thermo-mechanical properties, the resulting furan−based polymers presented improved Tg (Δ = 8 − 16°C) and modulus (Δ = 0.1 − 0.6 GPa) relative to their phenylic analog, and a possible theory was suggested by middle-infrared spectra study. Furan has thus been shown to be a potential building block for renewable high−performance epoxies, with potential applications in other thermosetting polymers.