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Nonisocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) thermoset networks were produced from a novel soybean-oil-derived poly(vinyl ether) (i.e., poly[(2-vinyoxy)ethyl soyate]) possessing cyclic carbonate functional groups in the fatty acid ester side chains of the polymer. Three different linear aliphatic diamines, namely, 1,6-hexamethylenediamine, 1,9-nonanediamine, and 1,13-tridecanediamine, were used to cross-link the cyclic carbonate-functional poly[(2-vinyoxy)ethyl soyate] [C-poly(2-VOES)]. All three of these diamines can be readily obtained from renewable resources. For comparison purposes, analogous NIPU networks were produced using cyclic carbonate-functional soybean oil (CSBO) in place of the C-poly(2-VOES). The chemical, thermal, viscoelastic, and mechanical properties of the six NIPU networks were characterized. With regard to the chemical nature of the soy-based, carbonate-functional component, it was found that the polymeric nature of C-poly(2-VOES) resulted in very different NIPU properties compared to analogou...

Prior to the ample supply of low cost petrochemicals, plant oils were used extensively as binders for paints and coatings. The utility of plant oil triglycerides as coating binders stems from the unsaturated fatty acid esters that provide a means to crosslink the liquid plant oil into an insoluble film by simply exposing the thin film of oil to the atmosphere. The crosslinking mechanism is a complex free-radical process, referred to as autoxidation, and involves abstraction of bis-allylic hydrogen atoms by singlet oxygen present in the atmosphere [1-4]. Since the concentration of bis-allylic hydrogens is critical to the autoxidation process, only plant oils with relatively high levels of linoleic and linolenic fatty acid esters are useful, such as linseed, tung, poppy seed and walnut oil. Plant oils such as these are referred to as ‘drying oils.’ Soybean oil (SBO), which is the plant oil currently produced in the highest volume in North America, is referred to as ‘semidrying’ since it is capable of autoxidising to a cured film, but the time required to do so is too long to be useful for paints and coatings. Corresponding author: Dr Bret J. Chisholm NDSU Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering bret.chisholm@ndsu.edu An alternative to alkyds