Cleaner production through using by-product palm stearin to synthesis alkyd resin for coating applications

•World market situation of palm oil was reviewed.•By-product palm stearin was used as a useful alternative oil for alkyd resin synthesis.•Six different long oil alkyds were produced successfully.•Industrial pilot synthesis was carried out.•Palm stearin substitution can result in a cleaner production.

This work describes the use of less valuable by-product palm stearin as a partial substituent for valuable vegetable oils to polymerize alkyd resins. The fusion process was employed as it consumes lower energy and has lower chemical pollution, the two main requirements for an environmental friendly process and cleaner production, as well as, being more economical production. Four types of alkyd resins based on the mixture of oils were formulated and synthesized at lab, pilot and industrial scale. The extent and average degree of polymerization were monitored through measuring the acid number and viscosity of the reaction mixture at various intervals of time. The performance of the synthesized resins for coating applications were determined using ASTM D 1640, 4366, 3559, 2794 and 1647. Results indicate that the alkyd resin synthesized from the by-product palm stearin is a successful alternative to sustain and save natural resources, environment, and energy. It can result in a cleaner production compared to solvent process, the other technique for synthesizing alkyds, which consumes fatty acids and more energy and enters aromatic solvent to the air.