Di-Hydroxylated Soybean Oil Polyols with Varied Hydroxyl Values and Their Influence on UV-Curable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives

Di-hydroxylated soybean oil (DSO) polyols with three different hydroxyl values (OHV) of 160, 240, and 285 mg KOH/g were synthesized from epoxidized soybean oils (ESO) by oxirane cleavage with water catalyzed by perchloric acid. The DSO were clear, viscous liquids at room temperature. The structure and physical properties of DSO were characterized using titration methods, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography, rheometer, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The number average molecular weight of DSO160, DSO240, and DSO285 were 1,412, 1,781, and 1,899 g/mol, respectively, indicating that oligomerization occurred during DSO synthesis, which was further confirmed by FTIR. All DSO polyols exhibited non-Newtonian, shear thinning behavior. DSO with higher OHV were more viscous than those with lower OHV. All DSO were thermally stable up to 380 °C. These three DSO were formulated into pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA) by copolymerizing with ESO using UV curing. The peel adhesion strength of the PSA was significantly affected by the OHV of DSO and DSO content. Maximal PSA adhesion strength of 4.6 N/inch was obtained with DSO285 and a DSO/ESO weight ratio of 0.75.