Around 100 years ago the predominant binder system for paints was linseed oil.<br/>With the advent of alkyd resins, seed oils were combined with petrochemicals such as phthalic anhydride and resulted in binders for paint that had better performance properties. As the petrochemical industry rapidly grew in the 1930s through the 1950s, so did resin and polymer systems for paints and coatings with the introduction of acrylics, epoxies, and polyurethanes. These newer binder systems, coupled with advances in pigments, led to the high performance coatings that are used in widely ranging applications from automobiles, bridges, aircraft, ships, and architectural uses. Today, there is increasing interest in using renewables in applications such as paints and coatings with seed oils a primary focus of much research and innovation. However, the performance targets have shifted significantly since seed oils were used in paints 100 years ago and some creative approaches are needed to be able to use seed oil and other bio-based raw materials and achieve today’s desired performance properties. A number of chemical transformations are applied to seed oils to provide the needed performance properties including the introduction of reactive functional groups, combining with other monomers, and adjusting the functionality to achieve high crosslink density.

Coming full circle: From linseed oil to alkyds to petrochemical resins and back again

254th National Meeting (2017)

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