Zhigang Chen, research scientist in NDSU’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, has received a grant for $98,210 from the United Soybean Board. Chen’s research focuses on producing high biorenewable content and high performance ultraviolet curable coating materials.

The combination of chemically modified soybean oil with solventless ultraviolet curing technology provides a green solution to stricter environmental regulations facing the coatings and composite industry. Chen will research various formulation and synthesis approaches to enhance soy-based ultraviolet curable coating materials with high efficiency toughening chemicals, and ultraviolet reactive chemicals derived from low-cost natural resources. High biorenewable content coating materials with higher performance suitable for industrial applications are expected to be produced.

Chen earned a doctorate from NDSU’s Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials. Additional research includes work as co-principal investigator to develop novel soy-based ultraviolet curable thiol-ene coatings and thiol-urethane coatings. The research is funded by the North Dakota Soybean Council.