Sains Malaysiana 42(4)(2013): 459–467

Production of UV-Curable Palm Oil Resins/Oligomers Using Laboratory Scale and Pilot Scale Systems

(Penghasilan Resin/Oligomer Minyak Sawit Termatang UV Menggunakan Sistem Skala Makmal dan Skala Loji)

Rida Tajau*, Mohd Hilmi Mahmood, Mek Zah Salleh,  Khairul Zaman Mohd Dahlan, Rosley Che Ismail & Sharilla Muhammad Faisal

Synthesis and Radiation Curing Group, Radiation Processing Technology Division (BTS)

Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuclear Malaysia) Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor D.E., Malaysia

Sheikh Mohd Zaki Sheikh Abdul Rahman

Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor D.E., Malaysia

Received: 9 June 2011 / Accepted: 30 March 2012

ABSTRACT

In recent years, there are growing trends in using palm oil as raw materials in radiation curable resins production. In this study, the acrylated palm oil resins i.e. the EPOLA (epoxidized palm oil acrylate) and the POBUA (palm oil based urethane acrylate) were synthesized using two different systems, i.e. the 25 liter pilot scale reactor synthesis system and the 2 liter (L) laboratory scale reactor synthesis system through chemical processes known as acrylation and isocyanation. In this paper, the property of the acrylated resins which were produced by these two systems were evaluated and compared between each other. Their properties were characterized using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer for functional group identification; the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for molecular weight (Mw) determination, the Brookfield viscometer for viscosity measurements, the acid values (AV) and the oxirane oxygen contents (OOC) analysis. As a result, the production process for both the 2 L and 25 L reactor system were found to be time consuming and the main advantages for the 25 L reactor was its higher productivity as compared with the 2 L reactor system with the same synthesis process parameters i.e. the temperatures and the experimental methods. Besides that, the 25 L reactor synthesis process was found to be safe, easy to control and served unpolluted process to the environments. The final products, the acrylated palm oil resins were formulated into ultraviolet (UV) curable compounds before subjecting them under UV irradiation. As a result, the UV-curable palm oil resins showed potential uses as pressure sensitive adhesives, printing inks including overprint varnishes (OPV) and coatings.

Keywords: Acrylated palm oil resins; palm oil resins; UV-curable polymers/oligomers

ABSTRAK

Sejak kebelakangan ini, wujud satu arus perkembangan terhadap penggunaan minyak sawit sebagai bahan mentah dalam penghasilan resin termatang sinaran. Dalam kajian ini, resin minyak sawit terakrilat contohnya EPOLA (epoksida minyak sawit terakrilat) dan POBUA (uretana akrilat minyak sawit) telah disintesis menggunakan dua sistem yang berbeza iaitu sistem sintesis reaktor skala loji 25 liter dan sistem sintesis reaktor skala makmal 2 liter (L) melalui proses kimia yang dikenali sebagai pengakrilatan dan pengisosianatan. Dalam kajian ini, ciri-ciri resin terakrilat yang dihasilkan melalui dua sistem ini dinilai dan dibanding antara satu sama lain. Ciri-cirinya diselidiki menggunakan kaedah spektrofotometer transformasi Fourier inframerah (FTIR) untuk pencirian kumpulan berfungsi, kromatografi ketelapan gel (GPC) untuk pengukuran berat molekul, viskometer Brookfield untuk pengukuran viskositi di samping penilaian nilai asid (AV) dan kandungan oksigen oksirana (OOC) menggunakan kaedah titratan. Hasil kajian mendapati proses penghasilan untuk kedua-dua sistem iaitu skala 2 L dan skala 25 L menjimatkan masa dan juga didapati skala 25 L adalah lebih produktif dibandingkan dengan skala 2 L apabila ia diuji menggunakan parameter dan teknik amali yang sama. Selain itu, proses skala 25 L adalah didapati lebih selamat, mudah dikawal dan merupakan proses yang tidak mencemarkan persekitaran. Hasil produk akhir, iaitu resin minyak sawit terakrilat adalah diformulasikan kepada sebatian termatang ultralembayung (UV) sebelum didedahkan kepada sinaran UV. Hasil kajian menunjukkan resin minyak sawit termatang UV berpotensi digunakan sebagai bahan pelekat sensitif tekanan (PSA), dakwat percetakan termasuk varnis kemasan cetak dan penyalutan permukaan.

Kata kunci: Polimer/oligomer termatang UV; resin minyak sawit; resin minyak sawit terakrilat

REFERENCES

Decker, C., Nguyen, T.V.T., Decker, D. & Weber-Koehl, E. 2001. UV-Radiation Curing of Acrylated/Epoxide Systems, Polymer 42: 5531-5541.

Mahmood, M.H., Mohd Nor, M. & Che Ismail, R. 1994. The development of palm oil based acrylated resins and their applications, Proceeding of The MINT R&D Seminar, 7-9 November, Selangor, Malaysia.

Mahmood, M.H., Tajau, R., Mohd Dahlan, K.Z. & Che Ismail, R. 2004. Radiation curable pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) from palm oil based resin/oligomers and manufacturing method thereof, Malaysian Patent Application Number PI20040082.

Mohd Nor, H., Mahmood, M.H., Kifli, H. & Abdul Rahman, M. 1990. The use of epoxidized palm oil products for the synthesis of radiation curable resins, Proceeding of The World Conference on Oleochemicals into the 21st Century, 8-12 October, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pp. 311-314.

Mohd Nor, H., Mahmood, M.H., Kifli, H. & Abdul Rahman, M. 1992. The use of epoxidised palm oil products for the synthesis of radiation curable resins; Several factors affecting the synthesis of epoxidised RBD palm olein acrylate (EPOLA). Elaeis 4(2): 60-64.

*Corresponding author; email: rida@nuclearmalaysia.gov.my