Development of acrylated soybean oil‐based UV‐curable coatings with high impact strength from low viscosity oligomer

ABSTRACT In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to bio‐based materials due to their sustainability and environmental friendliness. The combination of biomass and ultraviolet (UV) curing technology can reduce the dependence on petroleum products and emissions of volatile organic compounds. In this article, a new environment‐friendly UV‐curable coating with good performances was successfully prepared from acrylated soybean oil (ACSO). ACSO was obtained at low temperature without catalyst and inhibitor by reacting soybean oil‐based polyol with acryloyl chloride and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. It was found that the UV‐curable oligomer of ACSO had lower viscosity and better ductility, compared to acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO). The properties of UV‐cured films prepared by ACSO were studied and compared with films from AESO. The results showed that the ACSO‐based films were significantly improved in the adhesion and impact resistance. Furthermore, the addition of styrene could enhance the hardness and impact resistance of films. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135 , 45698.