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Iowa State University researchers have developed a single step method for generating tackifiers from isosobide and cyclic anhydrides that does not produce waste.

A variety of tackifiers with various properties have been made, and facile scale up to a kilogram level has been achieved.

Tackifiers are added to materials to impart tack, or immediate stickiness, and are used in formulating adhesives.  Tackifiers can often be the most costly component of an adhesive, and existing tackifiers come from three major sources: petroleum-based hydrocarbon resins, plant-derived rosin resins and terpene resins. Rosin resins are not compatible with all surfaces, and are not sourced from rapidly growing renewable sources while resins based on hydrocarbons are subject to fluctuating costs. ISU researchers have now developed a method for producing biorenewable, molecularly well-defined and tunable tackifiers at competitive pricing.  The tackifiers are produced in one step from isosorbide and cyclic anhydrides.  Water solubility and performance temperature can be tuned by the selection of the anhydride.  In addition, the tackifiers can be cured to create highly cross-linked polymers. These tackifiers are economical to produce and may have utility for a wide variety of industrial applications that require adhesives.

This technology is related to ISURF #4032: Diisocyanates from Bio-Renewable Sources, and ISURF 4346: Tackifiers from oligomeric polyesters of isosorbide

• Simple (tackifiers are produced in a single step from isosorbides and cyclic anhydrides)

• Tunable (choice of anhydride can result in tackifiers that are water soluble or insoluble)

• Versatile (a variety of adhesives, including highly cross-linked polymers, can be made using this approach)

• Biorenewable (inputs may be made from easily grown biorenewable sources)

Production of tackifiers for use in a variety of adhesives applications