Rosin acid oligomers as precursors of DGEBA-free epoxy resins

Rosin acid oligomers were modified and utilized in order to prepare thermosets based on epoxy resins. Epoxide groups were incorporated into this acidic precursor by various synthetic strategies and the corresponding thermosets were obtained thanks to an amino curing agent. Endocyclic epoxidized materials were firstly prepared and used as an additive to diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) in the presence of isophorone diamine. In a second approach, glycidyl esters of rosin acid oligomers were synthesized and thus utilized for the preparation of DGEBA-free thermosets. Some thermo-mechanical properties of the resulting epoxy resins were explored by DSC and DMA analytical techniques. Exocyclic epoxidized rosin oligomers were prepared and investigated as liquid-solution epoxy products free of DGEBA.