Soy-based UV-curable thiol–ene coatings

Novel soy-based thiols and enes were synthesized and characterized. Then, soy-based thiol–ene UV-curable coatings were formulated and their coating physiochemical properties were investigated in detail. The use of biorenewable resources, combined with environmentally friendly UV-curable technology, provides a “green + green” solution to the stricter regulations in the coatings industry. Novel soy-based thiols and enes were synthesized through the Lewis acid-catalyzed ring opening reaction of epoxidized soybean oil with multifunctional thiols or hydroxyl functional allyl compounds. FTIR and NMR confirmed the formation of the target compounds. The soy-based thiols and enes were formulated with petrochemical-based enes and thiols, respectively, to make thiol–ene UV-curable coatings. Typical coating film properties, thermal properties, and photopolymerization kinetics of these coatings were studied. Soy-based thiol–ene coatings having lower functionality thiols and enes have poor UV curability and coating properties, which was attributed to the lower crosslink density. Soy-based thiols and enes with higher functionality can be UV-cured in combination with petrochemical-based enes or thiols even without the presence of free radical photoinitiators. Better coating film properties were obtained from these higher functionality thiol–ene systems that were toughened by commercial hyperbranched acrylates.