Biobased poly(vinyl ethers) derived from soybean oil, linseed oil, and camelina oil: Synthesis, characterization, and properties of crosslinked networks and surface coatings

Authors: KALITA, DEEP JOYTI - North Dakota State University; TARNAVCHYK, IHOR - North Dakota State University; SIBI, MUKUND - North Dakota State University; Moser, Bryan; WEBSTER, DEAN - North Dakota State University; CHISHOLM, BRET - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: Progress in Organic Coatings
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2018
Publication Date: 10/24/2018
Citation: Kalita, D.J., Tarnavchyk, I., Sibi, M., Moser, B.R., Webster, D.C., Chisholm, B.J. 2018. Biobased poly(vinyl ethers) derived from soybean oil, linseed oil, and camelina oil: Synthesis, characterization, and properties of crosslinked networks and surface coatings. Progress in Organic Coatings. 125:453-462.

Interpretive Summary: This research describes a sustainable route to renewable poly(vinyl ether)s derived from vegetable oils. These polymers are important because they represent bio-based alternatives to existing petrochemically-based industrial coatings. Coatings are critical components in products that help preserve and protect nearly everything, from every day objects (paints) to our most important infrastructure (bridges, etc). This research discovered that coatings created by chemical modification of soybean oil, linseed oil, and camelina oil could be cured quickly at room temperature and that they possess tunable performance properties similar to their nonrenewable petrochemical counterparts. Such fast curing materials are highly desirable because of their ease of use, lower waste production and energy cost savings compared to other coating systems. This research may ultimately provide a renewable alternative to an otherwise nonrenewable commercial material, thus further reducing the environmental impact of and demand for petroleum and its various products.

Technical Abstract: A series of novel plant oil (PO)-based poly(vinyl ether)s were produced that varied with respect to PO composition and molecular weight (MW). The POs investigated were soybean oil, linseed oil, and camelina oil. All of the polymers were liquids at room temperature and were used to produce cross-linked networks, both as free-standing films and as surface coatings on steel substrates. Crosslinking was achieved at ambient conditions through the process of autoxidation. Viscosity of the neat polymers as well as the viscoelastic and mechanical properties of cross-linked networks were highly dependent on parent PO composition. At a given polymer MW, viscosity decreased with increasing PO unsaturation, while glass transition temperature, Young’s modulus, and tensile strength of cross-linked networks increased with increasing PO unsaturation. For polymers derived from the most highly unsaturated PO, i.e. linseed oil, impact resistance of coatings was significantly compromised, due to the relatively high crosslink density of these coatings. Overall, these results demonstrated that viscosity and the properties of cross-linked films based on these novel PO-based poly(vinyl ether)s could be tailored through selection of the parent PO and control of polymer MW. This class of highly bio-based polymers appears to have particular utility for the production of one-component, ambient-cured coatings. One component, ambient-cured thermoset coatings, are highly desired because of their ease of use, lower waste production, and energy cost savings compared to other thermoset coating systems.