Synthesis of novel vinylester from dicyclopentadiene prepolymer

• Epoxided dicyclopentadiene prepolymer was methacrylated.
• Methacrylation was performed in styrene as diluent.
• Methacrylated dicyclopentadiene prepolymer was cross-linked in styrene.
• Vinyl ester material was characterized.
• Non-harmful aromatic polymer could be a substituent to Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol A.

In this paper, for the first time a vinyl ester prepolymer was synthesized from epoxided dicyclopentadiene prepolymer commercialized under the trade name Tactix 756. Indeed this molecule has an interesting chemical structure with aromatic and aliphatic rings, for use in composite materials. Also, it is an industrial compound that presents the advantage to be a non-classified harmful compound. A new synthesis way has been established: the synthesis of the Tactix methacrylated carried out directly in the presence of styrene, which plays both the role of solvent during the methacrylation reaction and the purification, and as reactive diluent for reducing the viscosity and prepare VE materials. This process is very interesting and avoids the use of solvent for the preparation of the VE materials. Three VE materials have been performed with different proportions of styrene. These obtained materials have a good thermal stability, up to 400 °C and have a Tg from 153 to 169 °C, for 61 wt% and 35 wt% of styrene, respectively. These Tg values are high compare to Tg value of standard based on Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol A methacrylated.

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