Biobased Epoxy Resins

The development of epoxy resins from renewable resources, and the substitution of some of their components deemed hazardous, are hot topics in scientific publications and industry alike. Indeed, most epoxy resins are made from the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), which is derived from the epoxidation of bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor whose use is gradually being banned in most applications, in line with regulatory requirements. A number of BPA-free epoxy monomers are available, but not all of them can really be defined as substitutes for DGEBA. Indeed, it should be noted that DGEBA is based on a bisphenolic compound. The resulting physical and chemical properties are those of a rigid, aromatic ring-containing diepoxy monomer containing at least two reactive epoxy groups. Moreover, in most cases, the industry is looking for bio-based substitutes to further reduce environmental impact.

Focusing on aromatic biosourced substitutes, or at least rigid structures, this article proposes to detail the issues involved in this substitution, and to provide a detailed review of the research work carried out by academic laboratories, as well as of the commercial products under development to propose pathways to less harmful and more environmentally friendly epoxy materials.