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Traditionally, resins and hardeners are produced by chemical and petroleum industries. These industries make use of non-renewable energy resources like fossil fuels for manufacturing the resins and curing agents. In addition, most of the conventional curing agents used in epoxy resins are highly noxious in nature causing skin allergies and asthma. The green epoxy resin is capable of reducing these toxic effects but have few shortcomings including its cost and the mechanical performance of cured epoxy resin. On the other hand, there is a dearth of investigation in the evolution of green or sustainable curing agents known as bio-binders. This paper presents the prediction of mechanical properties by replacement of conventional curing agent with amine derivative synthesized from bio-degradable resource in a thermoset epoxy resin system. The properties are predicted by molecular dynamics simulations using Materials Studio Software.

Graphical Abstract

 

Thermoset polymer composites, known for their outstanding thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties, have found applications in diverse fields, including aerospace and automotive industries. These polymers, once cured, cannot be recycled, making the end-of-life management of these composites very difficult and posing an environmental challenge. Conventional recycling methods are unsuitable for thermosets, forcing their accumulation in landfills and raising environmental concerns. One possible solution to overcome this concern is to use resins or curing agents, or both, made from biodegradable materials. This study explores the fabrication and characterization of polymer composites using a commercially available green curing agent made from biomass. The composite laminates were fabricated using HVARTM (Heated Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding) process. In this process, heat pads are used to increase the temperature of both the epoxy resin and the plain weave carbon fiber laminate to a desired temperature, providing ease of flow to the resin. Small coupons were cut from the laminate using a water jet machine to study the flexural behavior of the composite in accordance with ASTM testing standards and compared with composite coupons fabricated using conventional epoxy resin.