Thermomechanical Performances of Epoxy Complex with Castor Oil-Based Polyglycidyl Ethers As Efficient Toughness and Strength Agents

The aim of the work is to develop two functionalized castor oil-based polyglycidyl ethers containing benzene rings by ring-opening etherification and alkylation reaction, respectively: phenoxy castor oil-based polyglycidyl ether (POCOGE) and phenolic castor oil-based polyglycidyl ether (PCOGE). Castor oil-based polyglycidyl ethers were introduced into E-51, which is a common type of bisphenol A epoxy resin. The thermomechanical performances of the polymer blends were evaluated. The addition of the synthetic castor oil-based polyglycidyl ethers showed an enhancement of E-51 in both toughness and flexibility without sacrificing bending strength. The tensile strength reached 81.0 MPa and 86.4 MPa, which were 26.5