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High strength, acid‐resistant composites from canola, sunflower, or linseed oils: Influence of triglyceride unsaturation on material properties
Author(s) -
Lopez Claudia V.,
Karunarathna Menisha S.,
Lauer Moira K.,
Maladeniya Charini P.,
Thiounn Timmy,
Ackley Edward D.,
Smith Rhett C.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2642-4169
pISSN - 2642-4150
DOI - 10.1002/pol.20200292
Subject(s) - canola , materials science , composite material , linseed oil , degree of unsaturation , sunflower , compressive strength , acid value , portland cement , chemistry , food science , cement , horticulture , polymer chemistry , biology , biochemistry
Here are reported composites made by crosslinking unsaturated units in canola, sunflower, or linseed oil with sulfur to yield CanS , SunS , and LinS , respectively. These plant oils were selected because the average number of crosslinkable unsaturated units per triglyceride vary from 1.3 for canola to 1.5 for sunflower and 1.8 for linseed oil. The remeltable composites show compressive strengths that increase with increasing unsaturation number from CanS (9.3 MPa) to SunS (17.9 MPa) to LinS (22.9 MPa). These values for SunS and LinS are competitive when compared with the value of 17 MPa required for residential building using traditional Portland cement. The plant oil composites are recyclable over many cycles and can retain up to 100% of strength after 24 hr in oxidizing acid under conditions where Portland cement is dissolved in under 30 min. Infusion of the composites into premade cement blocks affords them with significantly improved acid resistance as well. This work thus provides a simple, nearly 100% atom economical route to convert plant oils and waste sulfur to composites having enhanced performance over commercial structural materials.