Synthesis and Applications of Vegetable Oil-Based Photo-Curable Polymer Resins

This Doctoral Thesis addresses the problem of the excessive use of petroleum-based products in the polymer materials industry and their insufficient reprocessing. Such reliance contributes to resource depletion, environmental pollution, and increased challenges in waste management due to the limited recyclability of conventional thermosetting polymers. To demonstrate that a transition towards more sustainable solutions is possible, rapeseed, linseed, and grapeseed oils were used as renewable, bio-based resources for polymer material development. Vegetable oils and their polymer derivatives (fatty acid modified polyesters or alkyds) were converted into photoactive compounds by modification with acrylates and investigated under UV light-induced curing, which represents a faster, more energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional thermal curing. The results of this Doctoral Thesis demonstrate the potential of vegetable oil-based acrylates and their derivatives for the development of sustainable, functional, and reprocessable polymer materials, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-derived polymers and broadening the practical application scope of UV-curable materials.