Cardolite offers a unique line of cardanol-based epoxy resins, diluents, and modifiers that provide formulators with valuable tools to meet certain target properties. Cardolite portfolio is comprised of reactive and non-reactive diluents that not only lower viscosity, but also improve anti-corrosion properties, flexibility, and early water resistance. These cardanol-based diluents allow formulators to achieve performance and workability in zero and low VOC coatings and adhesives. In addition, we offer a difunctional glycidyl ether resin and a polyglycidyl ether epoxy novolac to formulators that need to increase flexibility of the system without compromising barrier properties. Cardolite also offers non-CNSL monoglycidyl ethers as an option for formulations that can’t be changed to CNSL-based materials.
NON-REACTIVE DILUENTS
Cardolite’s line of cardanol-based non-reactive epoxy diluents are an effective way to reduce viscosity without the use of solvents. All cardanol derived grades carry the benefits of high hydrophobicity and therefore, excellent water resistance. Additionally, these diluents provide increased flexibility and impact resistance due to the long aliphatic chain in their backbone. Moreover, cardanol’s aromatic ring improves chemical resistance of those derivatives. Those combined properties help ensure our diluents have a positive effect on systems overall performance.
The Ultra LITE 2020 family is made of multi-purpose diluents that can also help lengthen gel time. The NX-202X line represents various cardanol grades suitable for use as diluents in various systems that include epoxy and polyurethane chemistries. Furthermore, cardanol grades act as accelerators between epoxy resins and amines. Hence, they are suitable as nonyl phenol replacements.
Ultra LITE color cardanol grade, NX-2026, and Ultra LITE 2020 (UL 2020) can be excellent renewable and lower volatile alternatives to Benzyl Alcohol with appropriate adjustments in formulations to account for viscosity and cure properties differences. The graph on this page shows a comparison of dry hard times and gel times between benzyl alcohol, UL 2020, and NX-2026 as reference.
Cardolite LITE 2100(R) are low color and low viscosity CNSL modified hydrocarbon resins. They are designed to enable high solids and solvent free formulations by lowering the viscosity of epoxy resins more efficiently than typical phenol based hydrocarbon resins and by improving overall system compatibility for better film formation. These products show good hardness development while providing improved flexibility and impact resistance. Their high hydrophobicity results in excellent water resistance, and more importantly, excellent corrosion protection on immersed and vapor exposed surfaces. Both products show very good UV resistance with excellent gloss retention for use in lighter color coatings.
REACTIVE DILUENTS
The Ultra LITE 513 family consists of monofunctional epoxy diluents that efficiently lower viscosity and can be excellent alternatives to traditional glycidyl ethers. NC-513 is the standard grade. Ultra LITE 513 is a higher purity, lower viscosity, very light color version of NC-513. LITE 513E is a very low total chlorine version of NC-513 suitable for electronic applications.
This line of cardanol-based reactive diluents is incorporated in the polymer network to minimize any effects on barrier protection. In addition, the good hydrophobicity, chemical and thermal resistance, and flexibility inherited from the cardanol backbone ensures good performance of the final epoxy system. This is illustrated on the graph on the right. It shows how the addition of NC-513 to liquid epoxy resin systems that were reacted with different epoxy curing agents improved water resistance (lower weight gains) at high temperature.
LITE 513DF – NEW HIGH STRENGTH DILUENT
LITE 513DF is a new CNSL-based, high bio-content diluent with lower epoxy equivalent weight than standard 513. This material is suitable for epoxy systems such as coatings, one- and two- component adhesives and composites. LITE 513DF is low in viscosity and provides excellent dilution power as indicated by the addition by weight curve with bisphenol A type liquid epoxy resin. As a diluent, it provides good hardness development at ambient and low temperatures. Similar to other CNSL-based materials, LITE 513DF displays good water resistance and flexibility. In coatings applications, LITE 513DF has demonstrated very good corrosion protection properties in long-term salt sprays tests as shown by the pictures of exposed panels on this page. In adhesive applications, this epoxy functional diluent also acts as a modifier that increases elongation and bond strength while minimizing effect on Tg and tensile strength.
This material is an excellent alternative to petroleum-based difunctional diluents (e.g., 1,6 hexanediol diglycidyl ether and 1,4 butanediol diglycidyl ether).
GOOD DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
LITE 513DF provides good insulation performance as indicated by its dielectric properties when tested according to IEC 62631 and IEC 60243 standards. In a formulation with Epon 828 at use level of 20% to the resin, cured with MTHPA (Methyl Tetrahydrophthalic Anhydride) and catalyzed by BDMA (Benzyl Dimethyl Amine), LITE 513DF showed excellent results with higher volume resistivity and dielectric strength, and lower loss factor and dielectric constant than competitive 1,4 butanediol diglycidyl ether. Similarly, LITE 513DF outperformed the petroleum-based difunctional diluent when both diluted epoxy systems were exposed to elevated temperatures or a salt solution. The combined properties of LITE 513DF make it a good epoxy diluent and modifier for electrical potting, casting, and encapsulations (impregnating resin).
HIGH BIO-CONTENT EPOXY RESINS AND MODIFIERS
Cardolite NC-514 and NC-514S are flexible difunctional glycidyl ether epoxy resins. The chain of 8 carbons separating the aromatic groups allows this resin to be used in conjunction with traditional epoxy resins to increase coating flexibility, abrasion resistance, and water and chemical resistance without adversely affecting other properties.
Cardolite NC-547 is a polyglycidyl ether epoxy novolac resin derived from cardanol. This resin can be used in combination with standard epoxy resins to bring additional flexibility and longer pot life to coatings without adversely affecting chemical and water resistance.