Epoxy curing agents comprising: polymeric amino-amides from monomeric tung acids andpolyamines

Claim 1

A COMPOSITION OF MATTER COMPRISING AN EPOXY RESIN SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF EPOXY ETHERS AND EPOXY ETHERS HAVING TERMINAL OXIRANE GROUPS AND A POLYMERIC AMINO AMIDE PREPARED BY (A) BRINGING TOGETHER A POLYALKYLENE POLYAMINE HAVING AT LEAST TWO PRIMARY AMINO GROUPS AND A FATTY SUBSTANCE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TUNG OIL FATTY ACIDS AND THEIR POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL ESTERS, IN AN AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 1.5 HYDROGEN CONTAINING AMINO GROUPS OF POLYAMINE PER ACYL GROUP OF FATTY SUBSTANCE, (B) HEATING THE MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 100*C. TO 200*C. SUFFICIENT TO BRING ABOUT AN AMINOLYSIS REACTION OF THE POLYAMINE AND THE FATTY SUBSTANCE TO PRODUCE AN AMINO AMIDE, HAVING FREE AMINE GROUPS, (C) SUBSEQUENTLY HEATING THE RESULTING AMINO AMIDE AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO POLYMERIZE THE AMINO AMIDE BUT BELOW 250*C., AND (D) POLYMERIZING THE AMINO AMIDE TO A VISCOSITY WHICH IS AT LEAST THREE TIMES THE INITIAL VISCOSITY OF THE AMINO AMIDE, EACH VISCOSITY BEING MEASURED IN POISES AT 70 PERCENT SOLIDS SOLUTION IN XYLENE.