Synthesis of high-performance green nanocomposites from renewable natural oils

This paper describes preparation and properties of green nanocomposites from renewable resources. The nanocomposites were synthesized by an acid-catalyzed curing of epoxidized natural oils in the presence of silane coupling agents. The resulting nanocomposites were transparent and highly glossy. Their hardness and Young's modulus of the nanocomposite coatings improved, as compared with those only from the epoxidized natural oils. Dynamic viscoelasticity analysis and TEM observation showed the homogeneous structure of the nanocomposites. The properties of the nanocomposites were strongly affected by the structure and feed ratio of the monomers. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.