Yağlar bitki ve hayvanların içyapılarında oluşan, suda çözünmeyen ve ana komponenti trigliseridler olan doğal maddelerdir. Yapısal olarak trigliseridler, bir gliserol molekülünün üç yağ asidi molekülü ile oluşturduğu kondenzasyon ürünüdür. Boya endüstrisinde kullanılan, doymamış yağ asidi içeriği fazla olan keten yağı ve ayçiçekyağı gibi kuruyan ve yarı kuruyan yağlar zayıffilm özelliklerine sahiptir. Yüzey kaplama uygulamalarında doğrudan olarak kullanılamayan bu yağlar alkaliye, aside, suya dayanıklılık ve yapışma gibi bazı özelliklerinin geliştirilmesiyle yüzey kaplama uygulamalarına elverişli hale getirilebilirler. Yağların homopolimerizasyon veya uygun vınil monomerleri ile kopolimerizasyonları sonucunda yüzey kaplama malzemesi olarak kullanılabilir hale dönüştürülürler. İyi film özelliklerine sahip bir organik yüzey kaplayıcı üretmek için bitkisel yağlarla yapılan kopolimerizasyon reaksiyonlarında en yaygın kullanılan monomer sürendir. Bu çalışmada, yarı kuruyan bitkisel yağların polimerizasyonu yeni bir yöntem ile yapılmıştır. İlk olarak bitkisel ayçiçek yağı belli bir oranda gliserin ile reaksiyona sokularak kısmi gliserid karışımı elde edilmiştir. Daha sonra elde edilen bu kısmi gliserid karışımı ile toluen diizosiyanat ve 2-hidroksietil metakrilat 'ın reaksiyona girmesi sağlanarak makromer üretilmiştir. Bu makromerin yapısı FTIR ve GPC analizleri ile tespit edilmiştir. Elde edilen makromerin polimerizasyon ürünü elde edilmiş ve film özellikleri belirlenmiştir. Yapılan analizler sonucunda, bu ürünün film özellikleri açısından kaplama malzemesi olarak kullanılabilecek nitelikte olduğu anlaşılmıştır.

Oils are the natural substances, unsoluble in water, found in the inner structures of the plants and animals and whose main component is triglycerides. The fatty acids contribute from 94-96% of the total weight of one molecule triglyceride oil. Among the triglyceride oils, linseed, sunflower, castor, soybean, oiticica, palm, tall and rapseed oils are commonly used for synthesis of oil-modified polymers. Although fatty acid pattern varies between crops, growth conditions, seasons, and purification methods, each of triglyceride oils has special fatty acid distribution. Linseed oil, for example, consists of largely linoleic and linolenic acids. In castor oil, the greater part of fatty acids is ricinoleic acid (12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid).Depending on the fatty acid distribution, each type of oil has specific physical and chemical properties.One of the most dominant parameter affecting of fatty acid and oil properties is the degree of unsatu-ration. The average degree of unsaturation is measured by iodine value. It is calculated from the amount of iodine (mg) reacted with double bondsfor 100 g sample under specified conditions. Triglyceride oils are divided into three groups depending on their iodine values; drying, semi-drying and non-drying oils. The iodine value of a drying oil is higher than 130. This value is between 90 and 130 for se-midrying oils. If the iodine value is smaller than 90, oil is called non-drying oil. Since triglyceride oils vary widely in their physical properties depending on fatty acids in their structure, the choice of triglyceride oil plays an important role on polymer properties. Linseed oil, for example, is commonly used for the preparation of paint binder, because it consists of reactive unsaturated fatty acids curing with atmospheric oxidation. Castor oil is an important reactant for interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) because it contains hydroxyl groups capable of reacting with isocyanate and carboxyl groups. It is possible to select fatty acid distribution function of oils via computer simulation and the molecular connectivity in order to produce linear branched, or cross-linked polymers. Materials prepared by this way can be used to produce pressure-sensitive adhe-sives, elastomers, rubbers and composites. The most widely used method to characterize material is infrared spectroscopy, particularly Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. It can also be used for the structural analysis of oils. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is another important technique for the descriptions of the chemical micro-structure of an organic material. It is possible to calculate the fatty acid content of triglyceride oil from NMR data. The calculation of the surfaces of the peaks corresponding to the methylene groups, for example, gave an assessment of the linoleic acid content. Gas chromatography is also widely used for the determination of fatty acid composition of the oils. Triglyceride oils are widely used in the production of organic coating materials. Although oils can not be directly used as surface coatings, after a number of modifications they can be used for surface coating applications because of having much more properties such, drying time, resistance to alkali, acid, water and adhesion. In order to obtain better film properties in coating applications, oils are modified with various methods. Among these methods homopolymerization and copolymerization of oils with vinyl monomers occupies an important place, styrene being the most widely used monomer. In the classical styrenation process, homopolysty-rene formation is likely to occur and the presence of homopolymer leads to poor film properties. By taking this fact, into account, the methods by which homopolymerization was minimized and polymer structure was controlled, were previously developed in our laboratory In this study, by using homopolymerization method, it is purposed to produce polymer modified with triglyceride oils obtained from sunflower oil. For this reason, oil has been reacted first with glycerol and obtained partial glyceride mixture. In order to prepare oil based macromono-mer, partial glyceride and 2-hydroxyethyl methacry-late (HEMA) were combined through urethane linkage by the reaction with Toluene diisocyanate (TD1). The characteristic properties of the macromonomer such as molecular weight, polydispersity and molecular structure were determined by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. The resulting macro-monomer subjected to polymerization and the corresponding homopolymer were prepared. Film properties of the resulting sample was determined according ASTM and DIN standards as well. The polymer sample showed good alkali and water resistance and good adhesion and flexibility.