DEVELOPMENT OF BIOBASED POLYMERS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The innovation and implementation of biobased polymers aim to enhance sustainability and eco-friendliness in material production, addressing issues related to climate change and resource scarcity. A holistic evaluation of these materials' life cycles is crucial to fully assess their environmental impact. The use of vegetable oil-derived polymers as biomaterials has garnered significant interest for their potential to rival synthetic polymers in terms of physicochemical, thermal, and crystalline properties. In this research, we synthesized a novel green biopolymer using palm oil, castor oil, and soybean oil. We created polymeric nanocomposites from epoxidized vegetable oils and organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) clay with diamino-diphenylmethane as the curing agent. These biopolymer nanocomposites underwent FT-IR, UV, XRD, TGA, and DTA analyses, revealing that optimal properties were obtained with OMMT loadings of 3 wt% and 7 wt%. All nanocomposites exhibited superior thermal properties compared to conventional polymers.