Maleate polyester polyols and coatings made from the polyols are disclosed. The polyester polyols comprise recurring units of (a) a digested thermoplastic polyester or an aromatic dicarboxylate source; (b) a diol; (c) 5 to 95 mole % of an ,-unsaturated monomer; and (d) 5 to 95 mole % of adipic acid, succinic acid, or a mixture thereof, where the mole % ranges for (c) and (d) are based on the combined molar amounts of (c) and (d). The polyols have hydroxyl numbers within the range of 25 to 450 mg KOH/g, an average of 0.5 to 2.5 reactive unsaturation sites per molecule, and a viscosity less than 1500 cP at 75 C. The polyols are thermally curable or energy-curable. Coatings made from the maleate polyester polyols are also described. Traditional coatings based on polyisocyanates and/or (meth)acrylates can be made, in some cases with improved properties and reduced reliance on the acrylate or isocyanate-based components. Surprisingly, the maleate polyester polyols can also be cured directly using UV to produce coatings under ambient conditions without the need for either acrylic or isocyanate functionality, and this allows coating formulators to reduce cost and more easily achieve regulatory compliance without sacrificing important coating properties. Rigid polyisocyanurate and polyurethane foams produced from the maleate polyester polyols have improved fire retardance.

Aspects of the present invention concern the ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of aromatic anhydrides and epoxides, such as terpene oxides, using sustainable starting materials, as well as the resulting polyester products having an unusually high glass transition temperature and low dispersity.

A curable composition to be cured to provide a cured product excellent in heat resistance and dielectric properties, a cured product of the curable composition, a printed wiring board, a semiconductor sealing material, and a build-up film using the curable composition. There is provided a curable composition containing an aromatic ester resin (A) and a maleimide compound (B), the aromatic ester resin (A) being an active ester resin that is a reaction product of a first aromatic compound having two or more phenolic hydroxy groups, a second aromatic compound having a phenolic hydroxy group, and a third aromatic compound having two or more carboxy groups and/or an acid halide thereof or an esterified compound thereof, in which at least one of the first aromatic compound, the second aromatic compound, and the third aromatic compound and/or the acid halide thereof or the esterified compound thereof has a polymerizable unsaturated bond-containing substituent.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toner binder and a toner that maintains offset resistance while having high gloss and that is excellent in low-temperature fixability, grindability, image strength, and heat-resistant storage stability. The toner binder of the present invention is a toner binder containing a non-linear polyester modified resin (A), wherein the non-linear polyester modified resin (A) is a modified resin having one or more carbon-carbon bonds crosslinking polyesters, and the toner binder has a loss tangent tan of 2 to 20 in the entire temperature range of 110 C. to 130 C.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toner binder and a toner that maintains offset resistance while having high gloss and that is excellent in low-temperature fixability, grindability, image strength, and heat-resistant storage stability. The toner binder of the present invention is a toner binder containing a non-linear polyester modified resin (A), wherein the non-linear polyester modified resin (A) is a modified resin having one or more carbon-carbon bonds crosslinking polyesters, and the toner binder has a loss tangent tan of 2 to 20 in the entire temperature range of 110 C. to 130 C.

Low VOC, unsaturated alkyd resins are obtained by reacting (A) to (E): (A) optionally from 0 to 30% w/w naturally occurring Rosin, comprising from 40 to 80 w/w parts per hundred of Rosin of an unsaturated mono carboxylic acid with at least one C.sub.15-25cyclohydrocarbo moiety capable of a Diels Alder or Ene reaction (preferred monoacids being abietic acid, palustric acid, levopimaric acid, sandaracopimaric acid, and/or anhydrides thereof); (B) from 25 to 80% w/w of a linear C.sub.12-60hydrocarbo carboxylic acid with at least one (preferably at least two conjugated) CC bonds (=unsaturated fatty acid); (C) optionally from 1 to 30% w/w of an ethylenically unsaturated C.sub.5-6hydrocarbo dicarboxylic acid and/or anhydride thereof, being reactive as a dienophile and/or enophile with A and/or B (preferred for C are itaconic acid, citraconic acid and/or anhydrides thereof); (D) from 1 to 40% w/w of at least one polyol; (E) optionally at least one monomer other than A to Dthe total of A to E being 100%. There is a further optional step (II) where more or new (C) may be blended with the alkyd resin; the amount of C in blend being from 1 to 30 parts w/w of 100 parts of monomers (A) to (E)and where (C) is at least used as a monomer and/or as a diluent in the blend and where alkyd resin (i) has acid value of <50 KOH/g of alkyd; (ii) Mn of >=1200 g/mol (iii) oil length <80; (iv) optionally biorenewable content >=50%.

Low VOC, unsaturated alkyd resins are obtained by reacting (A) to (E): (A) optionally from 0 to 30% w/w naturally occurring Rosin, comprising from 40 to 80 w/w parts per hundred of Rosin of an unsaturated mono carboxylic acid with at least one C.sub.15-25cyclohydrocarbo moiety capable of a Diels Alder or Ene reaction (preferred monoacids being abietic acid, palustric acid, levopimaric acid, sandaracopimaric acid, and/or anhydrides thereof); (B) from 25 to 80% w/w of a linear C.sub.12-60hydrocarbo carboxylic acid with at least one (preferably at least two conjugated) CC bonds (=unsaturated fatty acid); (C) optionally from 1 to 30% w/w of an ethylenically unsaturated C.sub.5-6hydrocarbo dicarboxylic acid and/or anhydride thereof, being reactive as a dienophile and/or enophile with A and/or B (preferred for C are itaconic acid, citraconic acid and/or anhydrides thereof); (D) from 1 to 40% w/w of at least one polyol; (E) optionally at least one monomer other than A to Dthe total of A to E being 100%. There is a further optional step (II) where more or new (C) may be blended with the alkyd resin; the amount of C in blend being from 1 to 30 parts w/w of 100 parts of monomers (A) to (E)and where (C) is at least used as a monomer and/or as a diluent in the blend and where alkyd resin (i) has acid value of <50 KOH/g of alkyd; (ii) Mn of >=1200 g/mol (iii) oil length <80; (iv) optionally biorenewable content >=50%.

The present invention concerns polyester resins of General Formula I (HO[R.sup.1R.sup.2C(CH.sub.2)].sub.a[OCOC.sub.xH.sub.yCO.sub.2].sub.b[C.sub.pH.sub.zO].sub.cH) or General Formula II (HO[R.sup.1R.sup.2C(CH.sub.2).sub.2].sub.a[OCOC.sub.xH.sub.yCO.sub.2].sub.b[CH.sub.2CR.sup.3(CO.sub.2H)CH.sub.2O].sub.dH), wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, a, b, c, d, x, y, p, and z are as defined herein, for use in inks and coating compositions. The polyester resins of the present invention are particularly, but not exclusively, suitable to enhance the adhesion between a printing ink or coating composition and a substrate, especially a plastic substrate, to which it is applied. The polyester adhesion promoters of the invention are compatible with urethane-based inks and coating compositions.

The present invention concerns polyester resins of General Formula I (HO[R.sup.1R.sup.2C(CH.sub.2)].sub.a[OCOC.sub.xH.sub.yCO.sub.2].sub.b[C.sub.pH.sub.zO].sub.cH) or General Formula II (HO[R.sup.1R.sup.2C(CH.sub.2).sub.2].sub.a[OCOC.sub.xH.sub.yCO.sub.2].sub.b[CH.sub.2CR.sup.3(CO.sub.2H)CH.sub.2O].sub.dH), wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, a, b, c, d, x, y, p, and z are as defined herein, for use in inks and coating compositions. The polyester resins of the present invention are particularly, but not exclusively, suitable to enhance the adhesion between a printing ink or coating composition and a substrate, especially a plastic substrate, to which it is applied. The polyester adhesion promoters of the invention are compatible with urethane-based inks and coating compositions.

The invention concerns a method for producing a polyester containing at least one 1,4:3,6-dianhydrohexitol unit comprising: a step of introducing, into a reactor, monomers comprising at least one monomer (A) that is a diacid or a diester and at least one monomer (B) that is a 1,4:3,6-dianhydrohexitol; a step of introducing, into the reactor, a catalytic system comprising either a catalyst comprising the element germanium and a catalyst comprising the element aluminum, or a catalyst comprising the elements germanium and aluminum, or a mixture of said two catalysts; a step of polymerizing said monomers to form the polyester; a step of recovering a polyester composition comprising the polyester and the catalytic system. The invention also concerns a polyester composition containing a catalytic system comprising either a catalyst comprising the element germanium and a catalyst comprising the element aluminum, or a catalyst comprising the elements germanium and aluminum, or a mixture of said two catalysts, and the use of same to reduce the coloring of the polyester.