Diethyl 2-isobutyl succinate

Maleate/vinyl ether formulations based on a model unsaturated polyester prepared from maleic anhydride and 1,5-pentane diol and triethylene glycol divinyl ether were studied. At molecular weights of less than about 10,000 the cured films were extremely brittle. When the equivalent weight of the unsaturated polyester was increased by replacing some of the maleic anhydride with succinic anhydride, measurable values for film elongation could be obtained but the cure speed was definitely slower. When either diethyl maleate or isobutyl vinyl ether were added as monofunctional diluents the cure dose needed to obtain 200 MEKDR was increased and the flexibility measured by pencil hardness increased as the amount of diluent was increased. A urethane vinyl ether was synthesized and used to replace DVE-3 and films with increased elongation were obtained at equivalent at dosages as low as 1 J/cm2. 

Esters constituted the largest family and included acetates (ethyl, propyl, isobutyl, butyl, isoamyl, and phenethyl), ethyl esters of fatty acids (propanoate, isobutanoate, butanoate, hexanoate, octanoate, 3-hydroxybutanoate, 3-hydroxyhexanoate and furcate), ethyl esters of organic acids (pyruvate, lactate, ethyl myristate, diethyl malate and, mono- and diethyl succinate) and various other esters, such as methyl butanoate, isobutyl lactate and phenylethyl octanoate. The acids quantified included isobutanoic, butanoic, hexanoic, octanoic, decanoic, lauiic and 3-methylbutanoic. The lactones included y-butyrolactone, pantolactone, y-decalactone and E- and Z-oak lactone and the terpenes included neral d-terpineol, P-dtronellol and Z-nerolidol. The aldehyde family comprised acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, furfural, 5-methylfurfural and octanal, and the phenol family included eugenol, 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol. Finally, 1,1-diethoxyethane, acetoin, sotolon, 2, 3-butanedione, p-cymene and methionol were also determined. 

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