Bio-based thermosets: Effect of the structure of polycarboxylic acids on the thermal crosslinking of maltodextrins

• Thermoset material based on maltodextrin and citric or tartaric acid.
• The structure of the polycarboxylic acid has strong impact on thermoset performance.
• Citric acid is more reactive and has better crosslinking capacity than tartaric acid.
• The systems with balance content of maltodextrin lead to the best performance.

Fully bio-based binding systems based on maltodextrin and polycarboxylic acids, citric acid and tartaric acid were investigated and compared. Effect of the polycarboxylic acid level was also examined. Polycondensation reaction between maltodextrin and the polycarboxylic acids was produced by thermal treatment on a glass fiber matrix. An extensive analysis by IR, TGA and rheology was carried out. This analysis indicated the higher reactivity of the citric acid. By rheology and mechanical characterization the thermoset character of the polycondensate systems was proved. From one side, the systems with higher content of maltodextrin lead to better mechanical performance. From the other side, it was found that the citric acid has a stronger crosslinking capacity.

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