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Raw materials used in bio-based UV resins

Release time:

2026-08-31 06:55

Raw materials used in bio-based UV resins

The defining feature of bio-based UV resins is that their raw materials are derived from renewable biomass resources, rather than conventional petroleum‑based chemicals. After chemical modification, these biomass feedstocks can be functionalized with photoreactive groups, enabling the resin to cure rapidly under ultraviolet irradiation. To date, a variety of biomass sources have been successfully employed in the synthesis of bio‑based UV resins, including vegetable oils, natural phenolics, lignin, and organic acids, among others.

I. Vegetable Oils

Vegetable oils are a widely used and extensively studied feedstock in bio-based UV‑curable resins. Their main constituents are triglycerides, which are formed through the esterification of glycerol with unsaturated fatty acids. Common vegetable oil feedstocks include soybean oil, castor oil, linseed oil, rubber seed oil, tung oil, and hempseed oil, among others.

Different vegetable oils, owing to variations in their fatty acid compositions and functional groups, impart distinct performance characteristics to resins. Castor oil contains natural hydroxyl groups, which can be directly converted into acrylate moieties via chemical modification, endowing the resin with excellent crosslinking density and mechanical strength. Epoxidized soybean oil is another important feedstock; by epoxidizing soybean oil followed by acrylation, one can obtain epoxidized soybean oil acrylate. This product exhibits low viscosity and minimal irritation, making it a well‑established, commercially available system within bio‑based UV‑curable resins.

Rubberseed oil can be used to synthesize UV-curable polyurethane acrylate resins, making it suitable for precision printing processes. Hempseed oil, too, can be converted into a photocurable resin via a two-step process involving epoxidation and esterification with acrylic acid; it exhibits excellent stiffness and toughness, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based products.

II. Natural Phenolic Compounds

Natural phenolic compounds contain reactive functional groups such as phenolic hydroxyls and unsaturated double bonds, providing the chemical foundation for constructing photocurable monomers.

Cardanol is a natural phenolic compound extracted from cashew nutshell liquid, containing phenolic hydroxyl groups and an unsaturated long-chain alkyl group, thereby exhibiting the dual characteristics of both aromatic phenols and aliphatic compounds. Cardanol can be converted into UV‑curable prepolymers or reactive diluents through modification methods such as epoxidation and acrylation.

Eugenol also contains a phenolic hydroxyl group and an allyl group, allowing photo‑responsive moieties to be introduced via chemical modification. Eugenol‑based resins exhibit tunable mechanical properties in dual‑cure systems.

III. Lignin

Lignin is an abundant aromatic biomass resource in nature and can be recovered and reused from pulping and papermaking effluents. The preparation of lignin-based UV‑curable resins typically involves chemically modifying lignin to introduce acrylate groups that are capable of photopolymerization.

Lignin’s intrinsic UV‑absorption properties can also impart a certain degree of UV resistance to coatings. A bio‑based resin synthesized from lignin derivatives and epoxidized soybean oil acrylate exhibits mechanical properties comparable to those of conventional petroleum‑based resins, holding promising potential for applications in the field of 3D printing.

IV. Other Biomass Feedstocks

Itaconic acid is an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid produced via biofermentation from carbohydrate feedstocks, and it serves as an important bio-based platform chemical. Its molecule contains two carboxyl groups and one carbon–carbon double bond, providing abundant reactive sites for chemical modification.

Rosin and its derivatives contain a rigid tricyclic phenanthrene skeleton, which imparts high hardness and thermal stability to resins. Isosorbide is a dehydration product of glucose, featuring a rigid bicyclic structure, and can be used to prepare UV‑curable resins with high hardness and excellent thermal stability. Tannic acid is also a bio‑based feedstock suitable for use in photocurable resins.

Vanillin, as a depolymerization product of lignin, can react with castor-oil-based polyamines to prepare high‑bio‑based UV‑curable resins containing dynamic covalent bonds.

V. Conclusion

The feedstock system for bio-based UV‑curable resins already encompasses a wide array of renewable biomass resources, including vegetable oils (such as soybean oil, castor oil, linseed oil, rubber seed oil, and hempseed oil), natural phenols (like cardanol and eugenol), lignin, itaconic acid, rosin, isosorbide, tannic acid, and vanillin. These raw materials undergo chemical modifications—such as epoxidation, acrylation, and esterification—to introduce photopolymerizable reactive groups, enabling rapid curing under ultraviolet irradiation. Due to differences in their molecular structures, each feedstock imparts distinct performance characteristics: vegetable oils enhance crosslink density and flexibility; lignin contributes hydrophobicity and UV resistance; while rosin and isosorbide provide superior hardness and thermal stability. As material selection and synthesis strategies continue to evolve, the feedstock portfolio for bio-based UV‑curable resins will become increasingly diversified.

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