Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the performance of the blends of Mesua ferrea L. seed oil based polyurethane resins with a commercially available bisphenol‐A epoxy resin at different weight ratios.
Design/methodology/approach
For effective improvement of their various properties, polyurethane‐ester (PE) and polyurethane‐amide (PA) resins of Mesua ferrea L. seed oil were blended with a commercially available bisphenol‐A‐based epoxy (EP) in different ratios (PE or PA:EP = 100:40, 100:50 and 100:60 by weight) by using the solution blending technique in xylene. The tensile strength, impact strength, adhesive strength, flexibility, hardness, elongation at break, swelling behaviour and chemical resistance in different media of the films for both the blends have been studied.
Findings
The blending of PE and PA resins of Mesua ferrea L. seed oil with a commercially available bisphenol‐A‐based epoxy (EP) showed very good compatibility of the components as observed by SEM study. The blending also significantly improved the performance characteristics such as drying time, tensile strength, impact strength, adhesive strength, chemical resistance, etc. of the films.
Research limitations/implications
The epoxy resin and the hardener are used of a particular grade of a particular manufacturer. Further, it could be obtained from different sources and of different grades. In addition, the performance characteristics could also be studied to optimise the exact blend ratio.
Practical implications
The method developed provided a simple and practical solution to improve the performance characteristic of polyurethane resin with less than one NCO/OH ratio.
Originality/value
The method for improving the performance characteristics of epoxy modified vegetable oil based polyurethane is something novel and could find numerous applications in surface coatings, adhesive and thin film.
Keywords
Citation
Dutta, S. and Karak, N. (2007), "Blends of
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited