Breaking Boundaries – Innovation shaping the Synthetic Resin Industry
Synthetic resins form an array of polymers, consisting of PF, UF, MF, PU, Epoxy, Alkyds, Polyester, and Acrylics etc. They can be in solid or liquid form, and can be used directly for coating and adhesive applications, or for moulding in to useful, light weight components.
Innovations in synthetic resins are improving their properties and applications, and making them more efficient and sustainable. Ever since PF resins was invented and patented by Dr. Leo Baekeland in 1907, innovations marked the growth and development of the wide range of resins for industrial applications. The trend is never ending, and scientists and technologists constantly come up with novel resins with specialized and often amazing properties.
Continuous innovations marked the invention and usage of synthetic resins. Examples are plenty, like Alkyd resins, a thermoplastic polyester resin that is resistant to chemicals, heat, and electricity, and widely used in paints, putty fillers, and electronic components. Or Phenolic resins used as a binder for materials like wood, glass, metal, paper, and rubber. Polyester resin is a synthetic copolymer used in construction, infrastructure, and logistics. There is Acrylic resins, a binder used in coatings, especially in the architectural coating industry.
Early resins developed yielded stiff and brittle coatings, while the market required flexible, and conformable coatings. Innovative research led to invention of newer resins. Epoxy resin was invented in 1930s by Swiss chemist Dr. Pierre Castan and American scientist Dr. Sylvan Greenlee. Epoxies were originally used for dental fixtures, but soon saw a wide range of applications like airplanes, boats, wind turbines, adhesives, paints, countertops, and flooring, to name a few.
Otto Bayer, a German chemist invented PU based resins in 1937. This was used for air craft coating during World War II, and as a replacement for rubber, which was expensive and hard to obtain during the war. Subsequently, PU found applications as adhesives, elastomers, and foams.
Thus innovations and changing market needs fuelled the evolution of synthetic resins. One of the latest in this list is the polyimide resin which is used in stealth aircraft coatings. Stealth coatings are radar-absorbing materials that reduce the radar cross-section of aircraft, making them harder to detect.
Another example are the new resins, some of them recyclable, developed for 3 D printing. This technique allows for the creation of complex designs with high precision, faster production times, and reduced material waste.
There are novel resins now in the market developed for applications in construction, automotive, and chemical processing. New resins are being developed for a variety of uses, including structural materials, adhesives, and corrosion resistance.
Vinyl ester resins for example is a hybrid of polyester and epoxy resins, and these resins are resistant to corrosion and chemicals, hence used in chemical processing plants. UV-curable resins can be cured quickly using UV light, which can increase efficiency and reduce waste.
Future of Synthetic Resins
With sustainability, recycling, bio degradability, and zero VOC emissions becoming paramount now, we can be sure of seeing many more exciting innovations and inventions in the field of synthetic resins in the coming years.