Cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9014A is a bio-based difunctional epoxy reactive diluent with EEW 200-270 g/eq and a viscosity of 1000-3000 mPa·s at 25°C. The cashew-oil grade cuts high-solid and solvent-free coatings and adhesives while holding film hardness and adding toughness and water resistance.

Product Code: YLD-9014A

CAS No.: 68390-54-5

Product Category: Diluent & Glycidyl Ether

1. Product Information

YLD-9014A ships as a reddish brown liquid in 200 kg drums, with Gardner color max. 18 and water content max. 0.2%. The table below lists the published product data in one place.

2. Product Description: How Cardanol Diglycidyl Ether YLD-9014A Works

Both ends of the cardanol molecule carry a glycidyl group, so YLD-9014A reacts into the cured network instead of evaporating out of it. That single detail is what separates a reactive diluent from a solvent.

The backbone pairs a long hydrophobic alkyl chain with a rigid aromatic ring. The supplier describes the result as a balance among film flexibility, impact resistance, and hardness, which is a different promise from a plain flexibilizer that softens the coating to gain toughness.

The specification number that separates YLD-9014A from the standard grade is EEW 200-270 g/eq against 290-350 g/eq. A lower epoxy equivalent weight packs more glycidyl groups into each kilogram of liquid, so a given dose of YLD-9014A contributes more crosslinking than the same dose of the standard cardanol diglycidyl ether.

In practice that shows up as higher reactivity and a tighter cured network. When a formulation is short on cure speed or heat resistance, the lower-EEW grade buys some back without giving up the cardanol flexibility. It can be run blended into conventional epoxy resins, or as the standalone resin when flexibility is the priority.

The raw material is a plant extract rather than a petrochemical feedstock, and the grade is presented as renewable and non-toxic. That helps in export markets where VOC reduction and bio-content carry weight in the specification.

3. YLD-9014A vs Alternative Reactive Diluents

The realistic alternatives are the standard cardanol grade in the same family and the low-viscosity monofunctional ethers. Published specifications settle most of the choice before a trial batch is even mixed.

Every reactive diluent is a trade-off: flexibility and water resistance climb while Tg and hardness come down. If a film has to stay hard while you add impact resistance, the flexible-rigid balance of cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9014A fits better than a soft flexibilizer.

When the job is a deep viscosity cut, the numbers are blunt. Cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9016 sits at 60-150 mPa·s and cardanol glycidyl ethers YLD-9006 at 30-50 mPa·s. YLD-9014A, at 1000-3000 mPa·s, is not the tool for that.

Against petrochemical ethers, the honest comparison is odor and property retention. A butyl glycidyl ether BGE YLD-9004 thins faster and costs less per liter, but the cardanol grades are positioned as lower-odor options with less damage to cured thermal properties. For projects that also carry a halogen-free or low-odor requirement, that usually decides the argument.

4. Typical Technical Information of Cardanol Diglycidyl Ether YLD-9014A

Cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9014A is specified by five published parameters: appearance, Gardner color, epoxy equivalent weight, viscosity, and water content. The values below are specification ranges, not batch certificates.

Confirm the current batch against the TDS, MSDS, and COA before releasing a formulation, and re-check EEW on incoming material if the hardener ratio is calculated tight.

5. Formulation and Selection Guidance

Cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9014A carries epoxy groups of its own, so it consumes hardener like any other epoxide. Blend EEW = 1 / (w1/EEW1 + w2/EEW2), then hardener phr = 100 × AHEW / blend EEW.

Worked example. Take 90 parts of a bisphenol F epoxy resin at EEW 170 plus 10 parts YLD-9014A at its EEW midpoint of 235 g/eq. Blend EEW = 1 / (90/170 + 10/235) = 175 g/eq. With a dicyandiamide-type hardener at AHEW 60, demand is 100 × 60 / 175 = 34.3 phr, against 35.3 phr for the neat resin. Treat 34.3 phr as a starting point, not a specification, because the exact figure depends on the accelerator package and cure schedule.

Viscosity moves less than reactivity does, because YLD-9014A sits at 1000-3000 mPa·s itself. A log-rule estimate for 10 parts YLD-9014A taken at 2000 mPa·s in 90 parts of a 15,000 mPa·s resin lands near 12,300 mPa·s, roughly an 18% cut. If a line has to get under 1000 mPa·s, the ultra-low-viscosity grades are the correct pick instead.

On dosage, most formulators start cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9014A at 5-15 phr against standard liquid epoxy resins. Above roughly 20 phr the network softens noticeably; check heat-deflection data on the actual system before committing to a level. We can supply grade-matched TDS data on request.

6. Processing Notes

Field experience with cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9014A reduces to a short list:

• Add the diluent to the resin first and homogenize before dosing the hardener; adding it after the amine invites local stoichiometry errors.
• Cold warehouses push viscosity toward the top of the 1000-3000 mPa·s window. In practice, check viscosity at room temperature, not straight off a winter pallet.
• The reddish brown tone (Color max. 18) shows through light-colored topcoats. When color is critical, a paler grade such as YLD-9016 (max. 12) is the better fit.
• Batches differ inside the published ranges. If the hardener ratio is calculated tight, feed incoming COA values into the phr math rather than last year's averages.
• Amine adducts prepared on a difunctional ether usually gel a little differently from those on monofunctional ethers; run a gel-time check before locking pot life.
• Store cool, dry, and out of direct sunlight, and keep drums sealed because glycidyl ethers pick up moisture slowly in humid climates.

7. Applications

YLD-9014A earns its place where viscosity, toughness, and water resistance have to move together. Typical uses reported for the grade:

The same logic runs across the families documented in epoxy resin adhesives and epoxy resin coatings: wherever a brittle network fails in wet or impact service, the cardanol backbone is worth a trial. For structural work, see epoxy resin composites.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

What is cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9014A used for?

YLD-9014A works as a reactive diluent and toughening agent in epoxy adhesives, high-solids and solvent-free coatings, composites, and amine adduct curing agents. It cuts blend viscosity while adding flexibility, water resistance, and adhesion strength.

What is the CAS number of YLD-9014A?

CAS No. 68390-54-5 belongs to cardanol diglycidyl ether YLD-9014A. The sibling grades YLD-9014 and YLD-9016 share the same CAS, since they carry the same cardanol diglycidyl ether chemistry but different EEW and viscosity windows.

How is YLD-9014A different from YLD-9014?

Both are difunctional cardanol diglycidyl ethers in the same 1000-3000 mPa·s band. The difference is EEW: YLD-9014A runs 200-270 g/eq against 290-350 g/eq for YLD-9014. The lower value means more epoxy groups per kilogram, so YLD-9014A cures more reactively and builds a tighter network. Choose the standard grade when you want the maximum flexibility and the lowest reactivity, and YLD-9014A when reactivity or hardness retention matters more.

How much YLD-9014A should I add to an epoxy formulation?

Most systems start between 5 and 15 phr. The right level depends on how much flexibility you can trade against Tg: above roughly 20 phr, hardness and heat resistance drop noticeably. Verify the final dosage against your own cure schedule.

Can YLD-9014A be used as a standalone resin?

Yes. YLD-9014A can run as a modifier in conventional epoxy systems or as the standalone resin when flexibility is the priority. Standalone use is not the right choice for neat casting that needs high rigidity, because the cardanol backbone keeps the cured part flexible by design.

How should YLD-9014A be stored and how long does it last?

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight with drums sealed. Shelf life is 12 months from the date of manufacture in the original packing at ambient temperature. All safety handling details are provided in the MSDS.

9. Packaging, Storage and Safety

Packaging is a 200 kg drum. Shelf life is 12 months from the date of manufacture in the original sealed packing at ambient temperatures.

Store in a cool and dry place and avoid direct sunlight. Keep containers closed when not in use, because most glycidyl ethers slowly absorb moisture in humid storage. All safety information is provided in the Material Safety Data Sheet that accompanies every shipment and is available on request.

For samples, current batch COAs, or help matching a grade to a viscosity target, contact the product team on the YLD-9014A product page or browse the full range on the diluent and glycidyl ether category page.