Rubber-Like Materials Prepared from Copolymerization of Tannin Fatty Acid Conjugates and Vegetable Oils

Novel bio-based rubber-like materials are prepared from the oxidative copolymerization of tannin oleate esters and vegetable oils. The copolymer materials are prepared as solvent-cast films. Analysis reveals the reactivity and amount of vegetable oil employed has the greatest influence on copolymer crosslinking and mechanical properties. Copolymer film stiffness values range between 6 and 300 MPa and crosslink densities are 661-15 800 mol.m(-3). Glass transition temperature (T-g) and Soxhlet insolubles (>80%) are relatively similar when forming copolymers with tung oil. In contrast, both T-g and degree of crosslinking decrease significantly with use of linseed stand oil. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the copolymers are thermally stable up to 200 degrees C.