In order to improve mechanical properties of the foams made by acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO)

AESO was further modified with maleic anhydride (MA) to yield another polymerizable resin (MA-AESO) in this work.Accordingly

more double bonds were attached to triglycerides of the soybean oil.Then

the MA-AESO resin was copolymerized with diluent monomer styrene (St) to produce biodegradable MA-AESO foams.Meanwhile

cell structure and compressive properties of the foams prepared at different ratios of MA-AESO/St and curing conditions were characterized.In addition

biodegradability of the forms was investigated by soil burial test.It was found that the foams had higher compressive property than AESO foams

because the former contained more double bonds in triglycerides of the soybean oil

which increased cross-linking density of the foams.Thus

environmental-friendly foams with mechanical performance comparable to traditional petroleum based stiff unsaturated polyester foam plastics can be obtained even at high proportions of the vegetable oil component.In spite of having high cross-linking density

weight loss due to soil burial biodegradation of MA-AESO foams was higher than that of AESO foams

which may be related to the increased amount of ester groups in MA-AESO molecules.