Preparation and Characterization of Rosin-based Waterborne Polyurethane from Maleopimaric Acid Polyester Polyol

Maleopimaric acid (MPA) can be used for polymer materials as a rosin derivative. In this study, rosin-based waterborne polyurethane (RWPU) was prepared with different content of maleopimaric acid polyester polyol (MAPP), which was synthesized from MPA. The properties of RWPU were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Other properties including tensile strength, elongation at break, and water absorption were also determined. The onset decomposition temperature of RWPU with 30 wt% MAPP is improved from 170°C to 237°C, compared to the pure WPU. The tensile strength of the derivative was increased from 7.24 MPa to 23.24 MPa as well relative to the default polyurethane. The water absorption decreased significantly from 78.6% to 14.7%.