A crack repair patch based on acrylated epoxidized soybean oil

Abstract

We present a novel UV-curable patch system that can be used to repair the cracked surfaces of chemical reservoirs. When a crack occurs in a chemical reservoir, the patch can be quickly attached to the damaged area, and then cured with a portable UV source in order to prevent the further spread of toxic chemicals. Crosslinked acrylated epoxidized soy bean oil (AESO) materials with various compositions and crosslinking densities were prepared by reacting AESO with the triethylenetetramine (TETA) crosslinker and tested as UV-curable pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs). The optimum curing behavior and adhesion performance of the UV-curable patch system were found by using various analytical methods, namely oscillatory rheology, and peel, tack strength, and tensile tests. Finally, an optimized patch was applied to a laboratory scale chemical reservoir in order to assess its performance as a UV-curable crack repairing patch system for the prevention of chemical spills from cracked reservoirs.