Catalytic Activity of Oxidized Carbon Waste Ashes for the Crosslinking of Epoxy Resins

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 11; no. 6; p. 1011
• Main Authors: Stasi, Enrica, Giuri, Antonella, La Villetta, Maurizio, Cirillo, Domenico, Guerra, Gaetano, Maffezzoli, Alfonso, Ferraris, Eleonora, Esposito Corcione, Carola
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07.06.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Ashes; Ball milling; Biomass; Bisphenol A; Carbon; carbon-based ashes; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Crosslinking; Curing; Diamines; differential scanning calorimetry; Epoxy resins; Fillers; Fourier transforms; Gasification; gel time; Glass transition temperature; Hydrogen peroxide; Infrared analysis; Lignocellulose; Mechanical properties; Oxidation; Recycling; Rheometry; Spectrum analysis; Thermogravimetric analysis; Waste materials; United States > US; Italy; gel time; differential scanning calorimetry; carbon-based ashes
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym11061011

In this study, two different fillers were prepared from carbon-based ashes, produced from the wooden biomass of a pyro-gasification plant, and starting from lignocellulosic waste. The first type was obtained by dry ball-milling (DBA), while the second one was prepared by oxidation in H O of the dry ball-milled ashes (oDBA). The characterization of the fillers included wide-angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermogravimetric, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The DBA and oDBA fillers were then tested as possible catalysts for the crosslinking reaction of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with a diamine. The cure reaction was studied by means of rheometry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The oDBA filler exhibits both a higher catalytic activity on the epoxide-amine reaction than the DB sample and improved mechanical properties and glass transition temperature. The results obtained indicate, hence, the potential improvement brought by the addition of carbon-based waste ashes, which allow both increasing the flexural properties and the glass transition temperature of the epoxy resin and reducing the curing time, acting as a catalyst for the crosslinking reaction of the epoxy resin.