[Kawilk01]

Hey guys this is my first post here so hang in here. Im also not a chemist or scientist by any means so crazy words will confuse me, I'm  looking for as basic of an answer and maybe helpful links as you guys can give me.

Anyways, I've recently developed my own formula for a compound which when evaporated leaves a nice sticky residue behind for traction purposes. Basically I take Rock Pine Rosin and break it down into powder to be dissolved in denatured alcohol. Lay it out and when the alcohol evaporates you have a nice sticky substance for things to bite onto. Now it's great for a little bit, but as it airs out it looses most of its stick. I've been cruising around everything I can dig up online and it seems that my problem is that it's oxidizing with the air and humidity causing it to degrade.

The reason I made this post is to ask if anyone knows of a pretty readily available substance that I can add to the mix to help with the oxidation and promote the Rosin stay tacky to the touch for longer. If it could be more resistant to water in the process that would be great as well!

Thanks so much for any help guys

[Vidya]

You heard about ..Oxygen scavenger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_scavenger

[wildfyr]

Ascorbic acid would fit the bill nicely as an antioxidant. BHT (butylated hydroxy toluene) is another common, safe, one. Are you sure its not just being untacky because all the alcohol evaporates?

Vidya, your wikipedia link isnt even very useful. We should try to be more helpful here.

[Kawilk01]

You heard about ..Oxygen scavenger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_scavenger

Are you saying dissolve some of this in with the mix?

[wildfyr]

Yes, you dissolve a small amount into your solution.

[Kawilk01]

Ascorbic acid would fit the bill nicely. BHT (butylated hydroxy toluene) is another common, safe, one. Are you sure its not just being untacky because all the alcohol evaporates

I'm fairly sure the alcohol evaporating isn't the issue. As the regular pine rosin itself is rock form and has no moisture , if you heat it will get tacky. The purpose of the alcohol is to get the resin into suspsenion so it can be applied to a surface in a nice even coating

[wildfyr]

Many polymeric materials are tacky when swollen with solvent, but become brittle and lose tack when the solvent evaporates. The resin isnt being suspended, its being dissolved. There is a discrete but important difference. A suspension implies floating tiny (micron sized) particles, dissolving implies separation of individual molecules by solvent.

However, I agree that oxidation is more likely the problem. I was fishing for the time scale of the adhesive failing. Days--->solvent evaporation months--->oxidation.

[Kawilk01]

Many polymeric materials are tacky when swollen with solvent, but become brittle and lose tack when the solvent evaporates. The resin isnt being suspended, its being dissolved. There is a discrete but important difference. A suspension implies floating tiny (micron sized) particles, dissolving implies separation of individual molecules by solvent.

However, I agree that oxidation is more likely the problem. I was fishing for the time scale of the adhesive failing. Days--->solvent evaporation months--->oxidation.

You guys are definitely the experts here so I'm willing to try whatever you say. If the solvent evaporating is what's causing it to lose its tack, is there a slow rate solvent could add to keep the track up? It loses its tack fairly quickly after an hour so so you're probably right. When I light the solution and burn it off it gets super tacky for a short period of time and slowly starts to fall off after. It seems like a solvent or other medium that I could add in a small amount is needed

[wildfyr]

You could add a bit of a solvent or liquid that is very high boiling and won't evaporate out to maintain tackiness. Is this a commercial product you want to sell or just something you plan to use around the house?

[P]

You could add a bit of a solvent or liquid that is very high boiling and won't evaporate out to maintain tackiness. Is this a commercial product you want to sell or just something you plan to use around the house?

Like a plasticiser..  :-)  Sounds like a good idea. Some solvents will last longer in the product..  maybe a medium molecular weight paraffin or chlorinated paraffin would stay in the system without ever leaving  -  keeping a little of the products original malleability.

[Kawilk01]

You could add a bit of a solvent or liquid that is very high boiling and won't evaporate out to maintain tackiness. Is this a commercial product you want to sell or just something you plan to use around the house?

I don't really have any plans for commercial sale. Maybe to a few buddies and such. What solvent/liquid would you reccomend to try?

[P]

There are some ester alcohols and phthalate esters that are harmless enough and of high BP that will stick around for a while..  The medium chained Chlorinated paraffins I mentioned might do it, but I do not know where you would get any if you aren't in the industry.

What about paraffin wax? Would that work to plasticise the rosin?

Try searching around for plasticisers that are available to you and try some maybe, unless anyone has any better ideas.

[wildfyr]

Plastisizer! You'd think as a polymer chemist I would have had an easier time remembering that word 

[Kawilk01]

Plastisizer! You'd think as a polymer chemist I would have had an easier time remembering that word 

Afer some more time on google the plasticizer seems like a decent route to check. I read about how in PVC it can be pulled to an adhesive causing it to turn into a "goo" and lose the bond. Maybe a small enough amount in my solution could help it out.

Any particular chemical you'd recommend?

[Kawilk01]

*Ignore me, I am impatient*, any more info guys?