High-performance biobased epoxy derived from rosin

Great achievements have been made in the research of biobased thermoplastic polymers, but the progress concerning thermosetting resins has been minor. In particular, research on high‐performance thermosetting polymers from renewable feedstock has not been reported elsewhere. A novel biobased epoxy was synthesized from a rosin acid. Its chemical structure was confirmed using 1H NMR, 13C NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated that the rosin‐based epoxy possessed high glass transition temperature (Tg = 153.8 °C), high storage modulus at room temperature (G′ = 2.4 GPa) and good thermal stability. A rosin‐based epoxy with excellent properties was achieved. The results suggest it is possible to develop high‐performance thermosetting resins from renewable resources. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry A rosin‐based epoxy was synthesized that displayed properties comparable to those of bisphenol A‐type epoxies. The results suggest rosin can be an alternative to petrochemicals in the synthesis of high‐performance biobased epoxies.