Abstract: The invention relates to a curing agent for epoxy resins, comprising a phenalkamine blended with a salted polyamine or a salted polyamine-epoxy adduct to form a curing agent for an epoxy resin, wherein at least one-third of the primary amine groups of the salted polyamine or the salted polyamine-epoxy adduct are blocked.

Abstract: Disclosed is the use of glycerol acetals as coalescent agents and/or solvents for making lacquers and paints.

Abstract: The invention relates to a curing agent for epoxy resins, comprising a phenalkamine blended with a salted polyamine or a salted polyamine-epoxy adduct to form a curing agent for an epoxy resin, wherein at least one-third of the primary amine groups of the salted polyamine or the salted polyamine-epoxy adduct are blocked.

Abstract: A process for the production of a color-stable composition containing cardanol and cardol including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate: (b) reacting the distillate with boric acid to obtain a reaction mixture; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation is provided. A method for the production of color-stable phenalkamines including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with boric acid to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation to obtain a main fraction; and (d) reacting the main fraction with an aliphatic amine and formaldehyde to form a color-stable phenalkamine is also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed is the use of glycerol acetals as coalescent agents and/or solvents for making lacquers and paints.

Abstract: A process for the production of a color-stable composition containing cardanol, including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with acetic anhydride to obtain a reaction mixture; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to fractional distillation is provided. A method for the production of color-stable phenalkamines, including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with acetic anhydride to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to fractional distillation to obtain a cardanol-containing fractional distillate; and (d) reacting the fractional distillate with an aliphatic amine and formaldehyde to form a color-stable phenalkamine is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to hardener compositions for epoxy resins (epoxy resin curing agent composition) comprising a mixture of crosslinking agents comprising (a) at least one polyamide functional compound, which has at least one amide function and at least one amine function per molecule, with the proviso that the polyamide (a) is obtained by the reaction of a dimer fatty acid or an alkylester of a dimer fatty acid with at least one polyamine, and (b) at least one phenalkamine compound, which is the condensation product of an alkyl phenol, formaldehyde and one or more at least dibasic polyamine, provided that the dimer fatty acid building block used to obtain the polyamide functional compound (a) comprises monomeric fatty acid in an amount of 20-60% by weight, based on the total amount of the dimer fatty acid.

Abstract: A process for the production of a color-stable composition containing cardanol and cardol including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate: (b) reacting the distillate with boric acid to obtain a reaction mixture; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation is provided. A method for the production of color-stable phenalkamines including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with boric acid to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation to obtain a main fraction; and (d) reacting the main fraction with an aliphatic amine and formaldehyde to form a color-stable phenalkamine is also provided.

Abstract: A process for the production of a color-stable composition containing cardanol, including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with acetic anhydride to obtain a reaction mixture; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to fractional distillation is provided. A method for the production of color-stable phenalkamines, including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with acetic anhydride to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to fractional distillation to obtain a cardanol-containing fractional distillate; and (d) reacting the fractional distillate with an aliphatic amine and formaldehyde to form a color-stable phenalkamine is also provided.

Abstract: Mixtures of dimeric and trimeric fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters and processes for their preparation comprising either A) epoxidizing an unsaturated or partially hydrogenated fatty acid glyceride; B) transesterifying the epoxidized glyceride with a C1-4 alkanol to obtain epoxidized fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; and C) ring opening and dimerizing the epoxidized fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; or A) transesterifying an unsaturated or partially hydrogenated glyceride with a C1-4 alkanol to obtain olefinically unsaturated fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; B) epoxidizing the unsaturated fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; and C) ring opening and dimerizing the epoxidized fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters.

Abstract: Polyamides and process for their preparation comprising eitherA) epoxidizing an unsaturated or partially hydrogenated fatty acid glyceride;B) transesterifying the epoxidized glyceride with a C.sub.1-4 alkanol to obtain epoxidized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters;C) ring opening and dimerizing the epoxidized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters; andD) reacting the dimerized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters with a polyamine to obtain a polyamide; orA) transesterifying an unsaturated or partially hydrogenated glyceride with a C.sub.14 alkanol to obtain olefinically unsaturated fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters;B) epoxidizing the unsaturated fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters;C) ring opening and dimerizing the epoxidized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters; andD) reacting the dimerized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters with a polyamine to obtain a polyamide.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of polyamides comprising the steps of A) reacting a soybean oil condensate obtained from the deodorization of refined soybean oil and which contains less than 30% by weight of free and esterified oleic acid based on the total weight of free and esterified fatty acids in said condensate, with a C.sub.1-4 alkanol in the presence of a zinc oxide catalyst to convert free fatty acids and fatty acid glyceride esters to fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters;B) removing excess C.sub.1-4 alkanol, volatile reaction by-products, water, and the zinc oxide catalyst from the resulting reaction mixture;C) heating the reaction mixture from step B) under vacuum to obtain a distillate of fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters;D) separating the distillate from step C) into a fraction containing mostly C.sub.16-18 saturated fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters and a second fraction containing mostly C.sub.16-18 unsaturated fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters wherein the oleic acid C.sub.