Technical CNSL (heated), the heating process of the Raw CNSL leads to decarboxylation of the anacardic acid to Cardanol and the typicall composition of technical CNSL is approximately 52% cardanol,10% cardol, 30% polymeric material, with the remainder being made up of other substances.
Futher processesing of technical CNSL in the distilation process at reduced pressure leads to removal of the polymeric material called Residol. The composition of the distilled CNSL contains approximately 78% of cardanol, 8% cardol, 2% polymeric material, less than < 1% 2-methyl cardanol, 2.3% heptadecyl homologue triene, 3.8% heptadecyl homologue diene and the remainder other homologous phenols
Properties: Technical CNSL undergoes all typical phenolic reactions. Its versatility in polymerization and chemicals modification and low cost find its application in the polymeric based industries . Technical CNSL properties have advantage over phenolic in certain applications such as impact resistance, flexibility, faster heat dissipation, anti corrosive, anti- microbial, insecticidal and resistant to alkali and acid solutions as well as mineral and fatty oils and various organic solvents.
Application : Technical CNSL has innumerable applications in polymer based industries such as friction linings, paints and varnishes, laminating resins, rubber compounding resins, cashew cements, polyurethane based polymers, surfactants, epoxy resins, foundry chemicals and intermediates for chemical industry
