Tailored Biobased Resins from Acrylated Vegetable Oils for Application in Wood Coatings

Abstract

The modern coating market is dominated by acrylic, polyurethane, and polyester polymer resins produced from unsustainable fossil resources. Herein, we propose the preparation of resins from biobased components to produce functional and solvent-free wood coatings with enhanced performance properties. Acrylated rapeseed, linseed, and grapeseed oils were prepared via a one-step synthesis and used as a basis for the control of resin viscosity and fatty acid content. A combination of vegetable oil acrylates was used as a matrix and the biobased monomer propoxylated glycerol triacrylate (GPT) was selected to tailor the properties of the UV crosslinked network. During polymerization, the GPT monomer induced a two-phase microstructure as indicated by an SEM analysis. The possibility of generating a tailored microstructure in the final material was examined in this study. The addition of GPT increased the storage modulus by up to five-fold, crosslink density by up to two-fold at 20 °C, and glass transition temperature by up to 10.2 °C. Pull-off adhesion tests showed a strength of 1.21 MPa. In addition, the photo-oxidation effect on samples, i.e., aging, was assessed with microhardness, sliding friction, and optical microscopy. Coatings showed a microhardness value up to 250 MPa, while a coefficient of friction (μ) was in the range of 0.21 to 0.88.