International. Researchers have created a plant-based thermoset that could make devices such as airplanes, electronics and solar cells, which use epoxy thermosets, "greener."
Thermosets are resins that, when cured, undergo a change that makes them strong and stable. Once thermosets are molded into one shape, they are typically fixed and cannot be reworked. These materials are frequently used as adhesives and coatings in electronics, appliances and aircraft.
But most epoxy thermosets are made with non-renewable materials, and some contain substances that can potentially harm the environment, and because of their structures, they cannot be broken or recycled. Plant-based thermosets are commercially available, but they are generally weak and break easily. That's why Jian-Bing Zeng and his colleagues wanted to create a safe and strong plant thermoset.
The team developed a new curing agent that was made from castor oil components, which is derived from a plant. When the researchers used the agent in a soy-based epoxy thermoset, also derived from a plant, it became more crystalline.
That made the material stronger, more durable and heat-resistant than before. In addition, light passes through thermoset-based soybeans, potentially making it ideal for applications such as solar cells.
Source: American Chemical Society.
