Abstract
New green nanocomposites from epoxidized plant oils and an oxetane-containing silane coupling agent have been developed. The acid-catalyzed curing of epoxidized soybean and linseed oils (ESO and ELO, respectively) with 3-ethyl-3- ((3- (triethoxysilyl) propoxy) methyl) oxetane (TESOX) produced transparent nanocomposite coatings with high gloss surface, in which the organic and inorganic components were linked via covalent bonding. The universal hardness and Young's modulus of the coating increased as a function of the feed ratio of TESOX. The nanocomposites showed improved mechanical properties, as compared with those of the cured polymers of the epoxidized plant oils. The coating and mechanical properties of the ELO-TESOX nanocomposite were superior to those of the ESO-based nanocomposite.
