Characterization of high glass transition temperature sugar-based epoxy resin composites with jute and carbon fibre reinforcement

The applicability of a newly synthesized glucose-based renewable epoxy resin component was tested in jute fibre and carbon fibre reinforced composites, respectively. Dynamic mechanical properties, glass transition temperature, tensile and bending strength and modulus was determined and compared to the properties of mineral oil based benchmark materials: aromatic bisphenol-A based, aliphatic glycerol and pentaerythritol based epoxy resin composites. For potential aircraft interior applications sandwich structures were prepared using jute fibre reinforcement and polymethacrylimide foam as core. According to the results the novel glucose-based epoxy monomer can be an alternative to the commonly used diglycidyl-ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA), including high-temperature composites applications up to 160 °C.