Soybean Oil Based Fibers Made Without Solvent or Heat

Abstract

Thiol–ene chemistry was harnessed to enable production of thermochemically stable thermoset fibers containing 50–87 wt % acrylated epoxidized soybean oil and 49–72% biobased carbon without using solvent or heat. In this demonstration, the fibers were made by simultaneous electrospinning and photocuring of a liquid monomer mixture, which could be translated to other fiber manufacturing processes such as melt blowing or Forcespinning. Scanning electron micrographs illustrate the fiber quality and an average diameter of about 30 μm. Photochemical conversion kinetics of functional groups during light exposure were measured by real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, providing insight into the advantages of using high-functionality monomers and thiol–ene chemistry in this application