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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #142825
Title: SOLID FREEFORM FABRICATION OF SOYBEAN OIL BASED COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH CLAY AND FIBERS.

Author
item Liu, Zengshe - Kevin
item Erhan, Sevim
item CALVERT, PAUL - UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Submitted to: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2004
Publication Date: 6/27/2004
Citation: Liu, Z., Erhan, S.Z., Calvert, P.D. 2004. Solid freeform fabrication of soybean oil based composites reinforced with clay and fibers. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 81(6):605-610.

Interpretive Summary: The importance of natural products for industrial applications becomes very clear with increasing social emphasis on the issues of environment, waste disposal and depleting non-renewable resources. Development of value-added new industrial products from vegetable oils will benefit the local rural community. The purpose of this work is to investigate the preparation of soybean oil based composites by direct deposition. The shapes of composites can be formed without molds, the method was called solid freeform fabrication method. The high strength composites are formed through fiber reinforcement, such as glass, carbon and mineral fibers. The resulting composites can be used in a wide variety of areas, such as agriculture equipment, civil engineering and the construction industry.

Technical Abstract: Soybean oil/epoxy based composites are prepared by an extrusion freeform fabrication method. These composites are reinforced with the combination of organically modified clay and fibers. The exfoliation behavior of the epoxy resin in the presence of organo-modified clay is investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The mixture of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and EPON® 828 resin are modified with a gelling agent to solidify the materials until curing occurs. The high strength composites formed through fiber reinforcement. Glass, carbon and mineral fibers are used in the formulations. It is shown that the fiber orientation follows the direction of motion of the writing head that deposits the resins and has an influence on the properties of the composite. In addition, the effects of curing agents, curing temperature, EPON® 828/ESO ratio, clay loading and fiber loading on mechanical properties of composites are studied and reported.