Biobased resins in coatings

 
Biobased resins derived from soybean oil offer formulators solutions that merge together performance improvements with sustainable ingredients. Formulation chemists are finding multiple pathways to create novel structures using soybean oil as the backbone, much of it based on epoxidized soybean oil (ESO). Building on soybean oil´s natural hydrophobicity, coatings are being created with excellent water resistance, flexibility along with hardness and durability. With multiple suppliers of epoxidized soybean oil, security in the supply chain as well as competitive pricing is pushing ESO as a major building block for coating formulations. One example is the Polyurethane family of coatings, adhesives and elastomers that can incorporate polyols derived from soybean oil and ESO. Soybeans are a sustainable feedstock and the oil derived does not take away from food production.