Plant Oil-Based Reactive Diluents for Coating and Composite Applications
NDSU scientists have developed plant oil-based reactive diluents for coating and composite applications that possess both low viscosity and high reactive functionality. With these improved characteristics these plant oil-based materials eliminate or reduce the need to be blended with petrochemicals thereby increasing the bio-based content of the product which is environmentally more desirable. The fundamental aspect of the invention involves transesterification of a plant oil triglyceride with an alcohol that also contains at least one double bond.