Alkyds and Polyesters Pages: 7 Published: Jan 2012 ALKYDS ARE
SYNTHETIC POLYMERIC MATERIALS that have been used in the coating
industry since the 1930s. Today, they continue to be workhorse
polymers for the paint, coating, and printing ink industries.
Alkyds and chemically modified alkyd resins are the condensation
products of poly-basic acids and polyhydric alcohols. They are
used in liquid organic coatings for the architectural,
industrial, automotive, and industrial maintenance markets.
Alkyds are also known as oil-modified polyesters because of the
presence of vegetable or marine oils or other fatty acids. These
oils are coreacted into the polyester backbone. The type of oil
or fatty acid present in the alkyd contributes to its oxidative
cure characteristics. In a chemical sense, alkyds are polyesters
that are formulated with drying or nondrying oils. In contrast,
polyesters are oil free. Alkyds are often modified with other
polymeric materials for particular property attainment. Three
major classificatio