In this study, two cardanol based epoxidized resins, NC514 which is a phenolated cardanol resin with fewer than two epoxies per molecule and side chain epoxidized cardanol glycidyl ether resin (SCECGE) which is a cardanol based poly epoxy resin contains oxirene rings on the side chain with approximately 2.5 epoxies per molecule (1 primary and 1.5 secondary) were methacrylated. Prior to the methacrylation reactions, detailed spectroscopic analysis were performed to confirm the structure and epoxy functionality of the cardanol based epoxy resins. The methacrylated versions of cardanol based NC514 (NC514VE) and SCEL (SCELVE) epoxy resins were used as cross-linker units in vinyl ester (VE) formulations with methacrylated lauric acid (MFA) and styrene (ST) as bio-based and petroleum based reactive diluents respectively; at various concentrations. The rheological studies of the liquid resin mixtures demonstrated that, samples prepared with cardanol based SCELVE resin have considerably lower viscosity than samples prepared with it is commercially available counterpart NC514 which contains significant amount of impurities in the form of oligomers and open epoxies. In addition, mechanical and thermo-mechanical measurements showed that VE formulations prepared with cardanol based SCELVE cross-linker unit have shown significant improved properties than samples prepared with commercially available cardanol based NC514VE cross-linker units with both diluents. These properties of SCELVE were also comparable to that of methacrylated commercial di-epoxy DGEBA formulations unlike NC514VE formulations. Cardanol based VE monomers have an increasing potential to provide new biobased aromatic building blocks for composite applications, and corrosion and marine coatings.

Synthesis and characterization of cardanol based vinyl ester resins

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.