In the present study a new environmentally friendly acrylic resin was characterized to develop a high-performance biocomposite for future work. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements were used to determine onset of curing reaction as well as the degree of cure at a certain temperatures. Swelling equilibrium data for an acrylic resin were generally analyzed using the Flory-Rehner equation for a perfect network, to obtain a measurement of the molar mass between two crosslinks and the crosslink density of polymer, and to establish the effect of temperature and time on these parameters. The crosslink density of cured resin at 180degreesC and 10 min indicates the completion of a major part of the reaction under those conditions. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.