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Bio-based latent accelerator for epoxy resins: longer shelf life, rapid curing
A bio-based latent accelerator using itaconic acid extends the shelf life of one-component epoxy resins to over 210 days, while allowing fast curing at elevated temperatures.
One-component epoxy resins offer stable quality and ease of handling, but efficient, green latent accelerators are still in demand. A Chinese team has developed a bio-derived accelerator synthesised via Michael addition of itaconic acid and imidazole.
Comparative systems using dimethyl itaconate and imidazole alone showed significantly shorter storage stability. The chemical structures were characterised by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and TOF-MS.
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Long-term storage and fast activation
Formulations with bisphenol A epoxy, dicyandiamide and the new accelerator showed over 210 days of shelf life at room temperature, compared to less than eight days for alternatives. The excellent latent performance stems from steric hindrance and salt formation effects, suppressing reactivity during storage but enabling rapid curing when needed.
Source: Jing et al., Green Chemistry, Issue 25, 2025
