New biobased high functionality polyols and their use in polyurethane coatings

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Polyurethanes (PUs) are versatile polymers with applications in coatings, adhesives, and foams.
• Developing high-performance polyols is crucial for tailoring PU properties.
• Soybean oil-derived materials offer a sustainable route for polyol synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel high-functionality polyols from epoxidized sucrose soyates.
• To evaluate the performance of these polyols in polyurethane thermosets and coatings.
• To compare the properties of sucrose soyate-based PUs with those derived from conventional soy triglyceride polyols.

Main Methods:

• Epoxide ring-opening reactions to synthesize ester and ether polyols.
• Characterization using GPC, FTIR, NMR, DSC, and viscosity measurements.
• Preparation and testing of PU thermosets and coatings using techniques like tensile testing, DMA, DSC, TGA, and ASTM methods.

Main Results:

• Sucrose soyate polyols were successfully synthesized with high hydroxyl functionality.
• Polyurethanes derived from these polyols exhibited increased hardness and a wider range of cross-link densities.
• PU coatings demonstrated improved hardness, adhesion, solvent resistance, and ductility compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• The unique, compact structure of sucrose soyate polyols, featuring a rigid sucrose core, enhances PU properties.
• These novel polyols provide a tunable platform for developing advanced polyurethane materials.
• Sucrose soyate polyols represent a promising alternative to conventional polyols for high-performance PU applications.