Self-emulsifiable soybean oil phosphate ester polyols for low-VOC corrosion resistant coatings

A series of soybean oil phosphate ester polyols (SOPEP) was prepared by reaction of fully epoxidized soybean oil with phosphoric acid and simultaneous hydrolysis in the presence of a polar solvent. The polyols were characterized by determination of acid value, oxirane number, hydroxyl value, molecular weight (GPC), and FTIR spectra. These polyols with varying amounts of acid phosphate groups could be self-emulsifled to form aqueous dispersions after neutralization with organic base. These aqueous dispersions showed varying degrees of stability and their appearance ranged from opaque dispersions to translucent to clear solutions. Waterborne coating compositions were prepared using these aqueous dispersions as principal components and their thermally cured film properties were studied. It was found that by careful selection and formulation, SOPEPs can be successfully used for low-VOC waterborne coating formulations. SOPEPs with 3.5% phosphate ester content showed visibly superior corrosion resistance properties.