Coatings Classroom: Cardanol Product Features and Market Status

Cardanol is a natural cashew nut oil extracted from natural cashew nut shell liquid and can replace or partially replace phenol. It is used in the manufacture of epoxy curing agents, liquid phenolic resins, liquid or powder thermosetting phenolic resins, and cardanol. With its special chemical structure also has the following characteristics: 1. With benzene ring structure, with high temperature performance; 2. Polar hydroxyl groups can provide wetting and activity of the system on the contact surface; 3. The carbon 15 straight chain containing unsaturated double bond in the meta-position can provide good toughness, excellent hydrophobicity, low permeability and self-dryness.

At present, China is a big demanding country of cardanol, and is also the most important importer of cashew nut shell liquid in the international market. However, since the products of the cardanol market have no standards to follow, this has also caused the current market of cardanol products to be mixed. The situation, for the application of cardanol, is also very troublesome in the purchase and use of cardanol. Based on the above reasons, Shanghai Wujing Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., a company engaged in the production of cardanol in China, drafted the cardanol industry standard in conjunction with Shanghai University, industry experts, and related companies.

The standard was formally implemented on June 1 this year. The standards are stipulated in terms of specific gravity, color number, viscosity, acid value, iodine value, moisture content, ash content, etc. The introduction of this standard will enable the performance indicators of cardanol to be based on evidence, and it will be used for cardanol production enterprises. To a guiding role, prompting companies to change their product structure. At the same time, it provides a direction for cardanol application companies to guide the production, application, and regulate the market's disorderly competition.