How biobased products can contribute to the establishment of sustainable coatings

High solid alkyd resins and reactive diluents completely based on commercially available renewable resources were prepared and characterised. Alkyd resins based on inulin or sucrose and unsaturated fatty acids or oils, showed a low intrinsic viscosity making them suitable to be used in high solid alkyd paints. Reactive diluents based on similar starting materials showed excellent properties with regard to thinning behaviour and effect on drying characteristics. A new concept was used to prepare effective, cobalt free, drying catalysts for both solvent and waterborne alkyd systems. Iron in combination with reducing agents such as ascorbic acid (vitamine C), and optionally other ligands, was found to be a very effective drying catalyst.