Synthesis of epoxy curing agents containing different ring structures and properties investigation of the cured resins

Two kinds of aliphatic epoxy curing agents containing ring structures were synthesized from rosin acid and isosorbide, respectively. They were cured with diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DER331) and the ultimate propertied of the cured resins were investigated. For comparison, the petroleum-based curing agent containing planar benzene ring was synthesized from terephthalic acid. The chemical structures of the synthesized curing agents were identified by Fourier transform-infrared and H-nuclear magnetic resonance. The ultimate properties of the cured epoxy resins were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis. Especially, the effects of ring structure on their shape memory properties were studied in terms of shape fixity, shape recovery, and shape recovery time. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44219.