Synthesis and properties of biobased polyesters for powder coating architectural applications

Sustainability has been gaining more ground among the population in recent years, primarily driven by concerns about climate change. The chemical industry is not exempt from this innovation, and manufacturers are striving to improve their production in a more environmentally friendly way. Within this context, biobased raw materials have been gaining prominence due to their ability to address issues associated with traditional monomers, such as greenhouse gas emissions and the exploitation of natural resources. These monomers come from different sources, such as lignocellulosic materials and crops. Fine chemicals from these sources can be generated through a variety of chemical, biological, and biotechnological processes. Polyester resins are widely used as components of powder coating systems, especially for exterior applications, requiring specific characteristics such as weathering resistance. In this work, a variety of biobased raw materials will be considered to test the feasibility of producing an entirely biobased polyester for powder coating architectural applications. Both biobased acids and glycols will be tested for polyester synthesis and compared to traditional monomers, aiming to understand the characteristics and properties of these chemicals and their effects on the final polymer. The new fully biobased polymers will be compared with some reference fossil-based polyester resins as binding systems for outdoor applications, architectural extrusions being the most relevant powder coating systems for such market segment. The characterization of the main physical and chemical properties of the polymers will ultimately provide insights into the newly formed biobased polymers. Furthermore, the formulation of the resins as powder coating paints, the following application on the suitable metal substrates and the testing protocol according to the international standards, will allow the evaluation of the possible use of these polymers for the targeted application.