Álvarez Manuel, Reilly Anthony, Suleyman Obey, Griffin Caleb
Departamento de Tecnología de la Edificación, Escuela Técnica Superior de Edificación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Avda Juan de Herrera, s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Jul 17;17(14):1956. doi: 10.3390/polym17141956.
There has been a growing interest in polymer-based materials in recent years, and current research is focused on reducing fossil-derived epoxy compounds. This review examines the potential of epoxidised vegetable oils (EVOs) as sustainable alternatives to these systems. Epoxidation processes have been systematically analysed and their influence on chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties has been assessed. Results indicate that basic, low-toxicity epoxidation methods resulted in resins with comparable performance to those obtained through more complex common/commercial procedures. In total, 5-7% oxirane oxygen content (OOC) was found to be optimal to achieve a balanced crosslink density, thus enhancing tensile strength. Furthermore, mechanical properties have been insufficiently studied, as less than half of the studies were conducted at least tensile or flexural strength. Reinforcement strategies were also explored, with nano-reinforcing carbon nanotubes (CBNTs) showing the best mechanical and thermal results. Natural fibres reported better mechanical performance when mixed with EVOs than conventional systems. On the other hand, one of the main constraints observed is the lack of consistency in reporting key chemical and mechanical parameters across studies. Environmental properties and end-of-life use are significant challenges to be addressed in future studies, as there remains a significant gap in understanding the end-of-life of these materials. Future research should focus on the exploration of eco-friendly epoxidation reagents and standardise protocols to compare and measure oil properties before and after being epoxidised.
近年来，人们对聚合物基材料的兴趣与日俱增，当前的研究重点是减少源自化石的环氧化合物。本综述探讨了环氧化植物油（EVO）作为这些体系的可持续替代品的潜力。系统分析了环氧化过程，并评估了其对化学、热和机械性能的影响。结果表明，基本的、低毒性的环氧化方法所得到的树脂，其性能与通过更复杂的常规/商业方法得到的树脂相当。总的来说，发现5-7%的环氧乙烷氧含量（OOC）最适合实现平衡的交联密度，从而提高拉伸强度。此外，对机械性能的研究还不够充分，因为至少进行拉伸或弯曲强度研究的不到一半。还探索了增强策略，纳米增强碳纳米管（CBNT）显示出最佳的机械和热性能结果。与传统体系相比，天然纤维与EVO混合时表现出更好的机械性能。另一方面，观察到的主要限制之一是各研究在报告关键化学和机械参数方面缺乏一致性。环境性能和使用寿命结束后的用途是未来研究中需要解决的重大挑战，因为在理解这些材料的使用寿命结束方面仍存在很大差距。未来的研究应侧重于探索环保型环氧化试剂，并规范协议，以比较和测量环氧化前后的油性能。
