Modification of bifunctional epoxy resin using CO2 fixation process and nanoclay

• A new epoxy resin was synthesized using CO2 fixation reaction.
• The synthesized epoxy resin was modified by an organo nano-clay.
• CO2 fixation noticeably changed the curing mechanism.
• CO2 fixation reaction consumes CO2 which is a harmful greenhouse gas.

A bifunctional epoxy resin was modified by using a CO2 fixation solution process in the presence of tetra n-butyl ammonium bromide (TBAB) as catalyst and the modified treated resin was treated by cloisite 30B as nano additive. The Unmodified epoxy resin (UME), CO2 fixated modified epoxy resin (CFME), and CFME/clay nano composite (CFMEN), were cured by diethylenetriamine (DETA). A cycloaliphatic compound as a reactive diluent was used to control the viscosity of high viscose CFME. The exfoliation of organoclay in UME and CFME was investigated by X-ray diffraction and activation energy was computed using the advanced integral isoconversional method. The activation energy dependency demonstrated that the mechanism of UME curing did not change in the presence of nanoclay. In contrast, the CO2 fixation results showed a significant change in the activation energy dependency. The Thermal stability parameters include the initial degradation temperature (IDT), the temperature at the maximum rate of weight loss (Tmax), and the decomposition activation energy (Ed) were determined by thermal gravimetry analysis. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis measurements showed that the presence of organoclay in CFME increases the Tg of nano composite in contrast to UME. The fracture roughness of UME, CFME and CFNE were determined by scanning electron microscope. The exfoliated UME/1%clay nanocomposite was confirmed by TEM image.