The aim of this study was to investigate rubber toughening of resol type phenol-formaldehyde resin. For this purpose, phenolic resin was first modified by only acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, and then by using nitrile rubber together with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Test specimens were prepared by mixing and casting of liquid phenolic resin in three groups. In the first one, neat phenolic resin specimens were produced. In the second group, phenolic resin was modified with 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 wt.% nitrile rubber, while in the last group modification was carried out by using 0.5 wt.% nitrile rubber together with 1, 2, and 4wt.% amino silane (with respect to nitrile rubber). All specimens were heat cured in the oven. In order to observe behaviors of the specimens, Three-Point Bending, Charpy Impact, Plane-Strain Fracture Toughness, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis tests were conducted according to the related ISO standards for all specimens groups. Scanning Electron Microscopy was also used for the fractographic analysis of some samples. It can be concluded that, although there were problems in mixing and casting of liquid resol type phenolic resin, its toughness could be improved by using nitrile rubber and amino silane. Modification by using nitrile rubber and amino silane together was much more effective than by using only nitrile rubber. In this synergistic case for instance, Charpy impact strength and fracture toughness values of the neat phenolic specimens were increased 63% and 50%, respectively. SEM studies indicated that the main rubber toughening mechanism was shear yielding observed as deformation lines especially initiated at the domains of nitrile rubber and amino silane.

Dans cette étude, plusieurs voies ont été explorées dans l’objectif d’utiliser des polyesters aliphatiques issus de ressources oléagineuses comme additifs pour le renfort au choc du poly(L-lactide) (PLLA). Dans un premier temps, des poly(ester-amide)s (PEAs) ont été synthétisés à partir de dérivés de l’huile de ricin. La relation structure-propriétés des PEAs obtenus a été clairement établie. La dispersion des PEAs (à différents taux) par extrusion à l’état fondu dans une matrice de PLLA a ensuite été effectuée, démontrant un accroissement de la résilience de ces mélanges en comparaison au PLLA seul. Une étude systématique reliant la structure d’une large gamme de polyesters aux propriétés des mélanges polyesters/PLLA, a ensuite été réalisée. Une forte dépendance de la résilience des mélanges polyesters/PLLA avec la cristallinité de l’additif polyester a été observée et quantifiée.Une amélioration des propriétés mécaniques du PLLA a également été obtenue par polymérisation par ouverture de cycle du lactide amorcée par un poly(acide ricinoléique) di-hydroxy téléchélique. Les copolymères triblocs ainsi formés ont été caractérisés d’un point de vue morphologique et mécanique.Enfin, un travail exploratoire utilisant l’ADMET comme méthode de polymérisation a été conduit, permettant la synthèse de nouveaux polymères prometteurs pour le renfort au choc du PLLA. Notamment, la copolymérisation de α,ω-diènes bio-sourcés a permis de mimer le polyéthylène basse densité linéaire, couramment employé pour le renfort au choc du PLLA. / The objective of this thesis work, is to promote the use of fatty acid-based aliphatic polyesters as impact modifiers for poly(L-lactide) (PLLA).Firstly, poly(ester-amide)s (PEAs) have been synthesized from castor oil derivatives. The structure-properties relationship of the PEAs so-formed was clearly established. The PEAs were then melt-blended with PLLA by extrusion, yielding blends with improved impact strength compared to neat PLLA.A series of polyesters covering a wide range of thermo-mechanical properties was then employed to evaluate the influence of the polyester morphology on the properties of the blends with PLLA. A strong dependence of the impact strength of the blends was noticed with the crystallinity degree of the polyester additive.An improvement of the mechanical properties of PLLA was also obtained by ring-opening polymerization of lactide initiated by a di-hydroxy telechelic poly(ricinoleic acid). The so-formed triblock copolymers were fully characterized in terms of morphology and mechanical properties.Finally, an exploratory investigation related to the synthesis of PLLA impact modifiers by ADMET was carried out. Particularly, the copolymerization of two bio-based α,ω-dienes yielded a series of “LLDPE like” polyesters, LLDPE being a commonly used impact modifier for PLLA.