Biobased Epoxy Resin by Electrochemical Modification of Tall Oil Fatty Acids

A biobased epoxy resin was prepared from tall oil fatty acids (TOFAs), a byproduct of the pulping industry. As free carboxylic acids compromise resin stability, TOFA was subjected to non-Kolbe decarboxylation to give alkenes upon loss of CO2. Thereby, the degree of unsaturation is significantly increased. This electrosynthetic protocol using an undivided cell setup and inexpensive graphite electrodes in a galvanostatic operation mode was scaled to a 1.5 L reactor, making use of electric current as a green and waste-free reagent. Simple, cost-efficient epoxidation using oxone subsequently gives an epoxy resin of low viscosity. Curing with anhydrides yields thermoset materials. Dynamic mechan…