Elastomers are formed from
castor oil and / or
ricinoleic acid estolides and a
polyester formed from an epoxidized
vegetable oil such as ESO and a polycarboxylic acid such as
sebacic acid, optionally in the presence of a
peroxide initiator, or include crosslinked reaction products derived from
ricinoleic acid or
castor oil estolides,
epoxy group-containing compounds such as
epoxy resins and / or epoxidized
vegetable oil,
epoxy hardeners such as
polyamine and polycarboxylic acid hardeners, thermally activated free radical initiators such as peroxides, and optionally but preferably include fillers such as limestone or
wood flour. The elastomers can be prepared using a two-step,
solvent-less procedure at elevated or ambient temperatures. These predominantly “all-natural” elastomers have physical properties comparable to conventional
petroleum-based elastomers and composites and exhibit good flexibility, resiliency, abrasion resistance and inertness to
hydrolysis. The resulting elastomers display good
mechanical strength and resiliency, are resistant to abrasion and
hydrolysis, and can be processed into sheet materials, which makes them attractive as
floor covering components.