Author: Gwen dePolo

PhD Thesis: Northwestern University (September 2023)

 

Abstract

Drying oils have been used as a binding medium for oil paints since the 15th century. These oil paints transition from a liquid-like paste to a solid-like film as a result of crosslinks forming between the oil molecules. These reactions have been extensively studied chemically, but other material properties are not as well characterized for drying oils. Oil paints are typically used in complex composite structures where the mechanical properties matter just as much as the chemical properties. This thesis focuses on understanding the evolution of mechanical properties during drying oil polymerization.

 

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