In former studies of the bio-ART consortial leader, a high-performance thermoset with 100 % biobased carbon content was prepared using epoxidized linseed oil (ELSO) and citric acid (CA) [1]. However, the primary limitation of such systems usually resides in long curing times at high temperatures, thus impeding their broader adoption in commercial applications. Recently, chicken eggshell powders were explored as promising curing catalysts of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether epoxy resins [2]. Thus, in project 1.3, the effects of adding eggshell powders in an ELSO resin with CA hardener is studied and investigated comprehensively. Curing kinetics of the respective compositions were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and kinetic parameters are assessed using several isoconversional models. The thermal analysis clearly demonstrated that increasing the proportion of eggshell membrane leads to a systematic reduction in the onset temperature of curing, indicating a catalytic acceleration of the crosslinking reaction. Furthermore, the data suggest that citric acid exhibits enhanced reactivity in the presence of the membrane, possibly due to synergistic interactions between the acidic and amine-rich environments. The results are very promising in terms of reducing the curing times and temperatures for biobased resin systems in the future and making processing more energy-efficient. 

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[1] A. Anusic, Y. Blößl, G. Oreski, K. Resch-Fauster, Polymer Degradation and Stability 2020, 181, 109284.
[2] J. J. P. Barros, N. G. Jaques, I. D. d. S. Silva, A. K. C. de Albuquerque, A. M. Araújo, R. M. R. Wellen,Polímeros 2022, 32.