This study focused on developing and characterizing an emulsion paint formulated from a copolymer binder of polyvinyl acetate- hydroxylated guna seed oil (PVAc/HGSO) and compared with paint made from conventional polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) binder. Seed oil from guna was extracted mechanically using cold press method, and the extracted guna oil were successively subjected to epoxidation and hydroxylation reaction processes. The hydroxylated guna seed oil (HGSO) was copolymerised with conventional polyvinyl acetate in different ratio of 10 to 70% of hydroxylated oil, to formulate a novel PVAc/HGSO copolymer binder. The formulated copolymer binder was characterised, and compared with the standard inorder to ascertain the better blend ratio that will be suitable for paint production. The better blend copolymer binder was used in production of an emulsion paint. The physico-chemical parameters on the formulated emulsion paint were compared with paint formulated using only PVAc as a binder and acceptable value in the coating industry. The novel formulated emulsion paint found to be increased in gloss, adhesion and flexibility, which are major setback in paint produced using conventional PVAc only as a binder.

This research paper deals with the graft copolymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) on the backbone of Meizotropis Pellita fibres (MPF), which was successfully carried out under aqueous medium using Fenton's reagent [ferrous ammonium sulphate (FAS) (8. 0 , × , 10–, 3 M) and H2O2 (0. 12 M)] as a redox initiator to impart hydrophobic properties. Grafting was optimized under different conditions concerning time, temperature, monomer ratio, material to liquor ratio and initiator concentration. Maximum graft yield percentage obtained was 120%. The grafted MPF was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The FTIR spectroscopic data showed a peak at 1728 cm−, 1 of C=O (ester), and another peak at 1650 cm−, 1 of adsorbed water, which was absent in the grafted fibre. The grafted fibre showed excellent thermal stability with an overall weight loss of 56. 5% with a char residue of 33. 5%. In addition, X-ray diffraction of MMA-grafted MPF showed 21% crystallinity and crystallinity index of 0. 16. These raw and grafted fibres were also subjected to physico-chemical properties like moisture absorbance, swelling behaviour and chemical resistance, which they showed that MMA-grafted MPF exhibited hydrophobic properties. Therefore, due to this hydrophobic behaviour, the oil absorbency of MMA-grafted MPF was studied towards four emulsions: crude oil–, saline, engine oil–, saline, diesel oil–, saline and used engine oil–, saline. An MMA-grafted MPF by 120% absorbed 23. 60 g of crude oil in the first cycle, 17. 41 g in the second cycle and 14. 21 g in the third cycle, whereas 13. 14 g of diesel oil was absorbed in the first cycle, 8. 24 g in the second cycle and 5. 25 g in the third cycle. Similarly, 20. 14 g of engine oil was absorbed in the first cycle, 10. 00 g in the second cycle and 7. 51 g in the third cycle. Lastly, 19. 80 g of the engine oil was absorbed in the first cycle, 12. 25 g in the second cycle and 7. 98 g in the third cycle. These results showed that the oil removal efficiency of the grafted MPF was intact by oil fraction type and they can be applied for all kinds of oil fraction spillage.