One-Pot Synthesis of Bio-Based Waterborne Polyester as UV-Resistant Biodegradable Sustainable Material with Controlled Release Attributes

Abstract

Research in the field of biodegradable formulation has seen a huge upsurge owing to environmental concerns. Hence, fundamental shifting to fully bio-based material productions represents an essential task. In this context, the authors directed their efforts to synthesize fully bio-based waterborne polyesters by one-pot synthesis using vegetable oil-based dimer acid, glycerol, and citric acid via a solvent-free environmentally benign route. Three different compositions of the polyester were synthesized by varying the amount of citric acid and dimer acid by melt polycondensation without using any organic solvent. The physicochemical structure of the synthesized polyesters was characterized by Fourier transform infrared and NMR spectroscopies. Glycerol-based epoxy and fatty acid-based poly(amido amine) cured thermosets of the synthesized polyesters showed excellent performances including tensile strength (8.55-13.72 MPa), elongation at break (128.43-182.13%), toughness (12.95-17.31 MJ/m3), impact resistance (15.99 to >19.5 kJ/m), scratch hardness (8-10 kg), gloss value at 60° (56.2-62.3), and good thermal stability (above 203-230 °C). Moreover, the thermosets also showed good resistance against chemical and UV aging with high microbial biodegradability and controlled release ability toward urea as fertilizer. Thus, the synthesized fully bio-based polyester has potential applications as UV-resistant biodegradable sustainable material with controlled release attributes for fertilizers.