United States.
Researchers at Kansas State University have patented the first plant resin of its kind that would be ideal for coatings. It can provide glossy coatings.
The resin can be used in coatings on wooden surfaces, in magazine pages, in potato chips bags and other items that need shiny and protective surfaces that are flexible or rigid.
Researcher Susan Sun said the resin outperforms previous biological adhesives because it adheres to a surface for a longer period of time, has a longer shelf life and is more water-resistant. Because the substance is plant-based, its resources are biodegradable and renewable.
"Our resin is unique because it's made from soybeans, corn and other vegetable oils," Sun said. "The resins currently available are made from petroleum products, which are less sustainable, and from plant fatty acids, which cost more to process."
Sun developed the resin with Donghai Wang, a professor of biological and agricultural engineering, and Kollbe Ahn, a 2011 Kansas State University doctoral graduate of grain science, who is now a research professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The patent was granted to the Kansas State University Research Foundation, a non-profit corporation responsible for managing technology transfer activities at the university.
Source: Kansas State University.
