A Preliminary Study on Ultraviolet Radiation-Cured Unsaturated Polyester Resin Based on Palm Oil

Unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) based on palm oil were synthesized from various ratios of monoglyceride/maleic anhydride using polycondensation technique. The chemical structures of MG as well as the resulting polymer matrices were confirmed by spectral FTIR. The ultraviolet (UV) curing behaviours of the resulting UPR with styrene were carried out in the presence of free radical initiator using UV machine. Preliminary studies of the UPR were evaluated by measuring their iodine number test, gel content, pendulum hardness and mechanical properties. From the results, the tensile strength of the cured polyester increased to a threshold value, after which it decreased.