Zhigang Chen, research scientist in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, has received $88,630 from the United Soybean Board to support his research to develop high biorenewable content, high performance, soy-based radiation curable coating materials.

In a previous United Soybean Board sponsored research project, toughened soy-based ultraviolet curable coatings were produced by combining biorenewable toughening agents and hyperbranched acrylates in coating formulations. The research discoveries were summarized in two manuscripts. Invited presentations on this topic will be given in the coming Radtech China conference and to Huntsman Advanced Materials.

In this newly awarded Phase Two of the research program, novel bio-based hyperbranched acrylates will be synthesized and their affect on soy-based ultraviolet curable coating materials will be examined. Higher biorenewable content ultraviolet curable industrial coatings suitable for wood and metal substrates are expected to be produced.

Chen earned his doctorate from NDSU’s Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials. He has obtained more than $450,000 research funding as principal investigator and co-principal investigator in the biorenewable material industrial utilization area since 2008.