Synthesis and Characterization of Urethane Acrylate Resin Based on 1,3-Propanediol for Coating Applications

Abstract

The significant development of industry and the growing demand for renewable fuels lead to the accumulation of massive amounts of glycerol as a by-product. Scientists have been trying to use this product as a raw material for several years. One of its uses is in the acquirement of 1,3-propanediol (PDO). This work presents studies on the synthesis of two new urethane acrylate resins obtained from 1,3-propanediol and urethane acrylate oligomers containing isocyanate groups in each molecule. The method for obtaining the resins was presented, considering various conditions of synthesis, i.e., the structure of the carbon chain of the oligomer used, the molar ratio of the reactants, or the use of solvents. The reactions were monitored in real time by FTIR until the disappearance of the NCO groups. Then, polymer films were prepared from the obtained products and cured using UV radiation or thermally. The obtained coatings were tested in terms of the photopolymerization kinetics and properties of the cured coatings. Resultantly, the obtained bio-sourced coatings were observed to be characterized by good functional properties and a short curing duration, both with the use of UV radiation-based or thermal curing. These types of resins obtained using a bioproduct can be employed as eco-friendly film-forming products in the coating industry for many applications. In particular, due to their potential for dual curing methods (UV or thermal), these resins can be used on three-dimensional surfaces, i.e., those in which there is a possibility of the insufficient availability of UV radiation.