Preparation and characterization of a novel epoxy based nanocomposite using tryptophan as an eco-friendly curing agent

• Epoxy cured with tryptophan in the presence of 2,4,5-triphenylimidazole.
• Kinetic study on the epoxy nanocomposite using advanced isoconversional method.
• Structural study and characterization of nanocomposite using SEM, XRD, AFM and DMTA.

In this study, kinetics of the curing reaction between DGEBA epoxy resin and tryptophan as an environmentally friendly curing agent in the presence of 2,4,5-triphenylimidazole was reported. The role of silica nanoparticles (SiNP) in changing the mechanism of the curing reaction was also studied. The optimum molar ratio of DGEBA/tryptophan and the optimum content of SiNP were determined by calorimetry analyses. Kinetic analysis using the advanced isoconversional method revealed that the system undergoes the vitrification. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that addition of SiNP does not improve the thermal stability of the tryptophan based thermosets. Impedance spectroscopy and also the standard four-probe method were performed to investigate the effect of curing agent and SiNP loading level on the electrical properties of the cured epoxy. The structure and morphology of the nanocomposite were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy imaging. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis revealed that the crosslinking density cannot be significantly affected with the addition of SiNP.