Waste Grease to Tunable Bio-based Copolymers

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

11:35 AM – 11:55 AM PST

Room: B115

Presenting Author(s)

Masoud Kazem Rostami, PhD

Chemical Research Associate
United States Department of Agriculture
Wyndmoor, PA, United States

Co-Author(s)

VR

Victor Ryu

Research Food Scientist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
NL

Nicholas Latona

Materials Engineer
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
CM

Charles A. Mullen

Chemist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
JU

Joseph Uknalis

Biologist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
KW

Karen Wagner

Biologist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
KJ

Kerby Jones

Chemist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
VW

Victor Wyatt

Chemist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
XF

Xuetong Fan

Microbiologist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
RA

Richard D. Ashby, PhD

Research Microbiologist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States
Helen Ngo, PhD

Chemist
USDA
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, United States

Abstract:

Arylated and non-arylated fatty amide analogs derived from waste grease and beechwood creosote are utilized as sustainable epoxy curing agents to produce bio-based thermoset copolymers with tunable mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties. The heat deflection temperature and stiffness of these copolymers increase with their arylation ratio; however, their tensile strength and antibacterial potency maximize at the mid-range. Strikingly, regardless of their arylation ratio, all these fat-based copolymers endure temperatures as high as 300 °C. These tunable properties and desirable features open various possibilities for the utilization of recycled fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) in the production of value-added products, including but not limited to stain-resistant or self-cleaning surface coatings, fillers or sealants for electrical waterproofing, and numerous types of composites.