Formulating Brown\nAlgae Derived Phloroglucinol-Based\nEpoxy Resin for High Performance Applications

The development of epoxy resin formulations from renewable\nfeedstocks\nhas been thoroughly explored in the chemical literature. A simple\none-pot chemical reaction involving sustainable phenolic molecules\nand epichlorohydrin results in the production of renewable epoxy monomers.\nThese monomers can be cured with amines or anhydrides to yield cross-linked\nthermosetting resins. Although a wide variety of recipes exist, there\nis a notable gap in the application of these sustainable resin formulations\nto engineering contexts. This gap is primarily due to the lack of\ncomprehensive, standardized analyses of these resin recipes, which\nimpede their potential use in advanced composite applications. In\nthis study, we reveal a high-performance resin formulation utilizing\nepoxidized phloroglucinol derived from brown algae in combination\nwith an aerospace-grade amine hardener. The resin processing and thermomechanical\nproperties are investigated using ASTM standard tests including tensile\nstrength, flexural strength, fracture toughness, and interlaminar\nshear strength. Given the detailed comparative analysis, the partially\nrenewable resin recipe outperforms petroleum derived analogues.