New polyester acrylate resins from palm oil for wood coating application

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential use of palm oil and t o prepare new UV (ultraviolet) radiation-curable acrylated polyester prepol ymers, which could be used in the wood coating industry. Thus, palm oil-bas ed acrylated polyester resins PEPP-1 (from refined, bleached, and deodorize d palm oil) and PEPP-2 (from crude palm oil) were synthesized at the Advanc ed Oleochemical Technology Centre (AOTC) laboratory of Palm Oil Research In stitute of Malaysia (PORIM). The performances of these resins with respect to their curing rate and physical-mechanical properties of cured products u nder UV radiation were studied. It can be concluded that newly synthesized UV radiation-curable polyester acrylated prepolymers (palm oil based), name ly PEPP-1 and PEPP-2, can be used as radiation curable coating materials fo r wood coating applications. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.