Modified Castor Oil as an Epoxy Resin Curing Agent

Abstract

A castor oil, an agricultural product, is an unsaturated material. Hence the castor oil is brominated by bromine liquid. The brominated castor oil (BCO) was then reacted with excess of aliphatic diamines viz; ethylene diamine, 1,3-propane diamine and 1,6-hexane diamine. The resultant amino functionalized castor oil (ACO) samples were then characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectral study and number of amino groups. All the three ACO samples were then employed for the curing of commercial Brominated epoxy resin. The curing of epoxy resin by ACO was monitored on differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and based on the DSC study their glass fibre reinforced composites (GRC) were fabricated. The cured samples (i.e. unreinforced) were also subjected to thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The chemical, mechanical and electrical properties of the glass fibre reinforced composites (GRC) were also evaluated.