Fish Oil Thermosetting Polymers: Creep and Recovery Behavior

Li, F., R. C. Larock, and J. U. Otaigbe

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

Abstract

The authors report creep and recovery behavior of novel polymers prepd. by the cationic copolymn. of fish oil (FO) and conjugated fish oil (CFO) with a no. of comonomers using B trifluoride di-Et etherate as the initiator. The exptl. results are compared with classical models of linear viscoelasticity and the structural effects on the creep behavior are examd. The models successfully predict the creep behavior in the static loading range of 0.03-0.07 MPa, together with a retardation time distribution function, suggesting that the materials are linearly viscoelastic under the test conditions. Deviations between exptl. results and theor. predictions are explained in terms of structural effects being controlled by the nature and conjugation of the double bonds in the fish oils, as well as the interactions of the unreacted oils with the crosslinked network structure of the polymers. At high temps., the CFO and divinylbenzene copolymers show better creep resistance and higher strain recovery than that of the FO polymers. These results together with those obtained from dynamic mech. anal. indicate that the polymers may be useful in applications where com. viscous fish oil systems are not usable.