Sulfide extended epoxy resins and barrier coating applications thereof

A method of coating a substrate with an oxygen barrier coating composition comprising:

• a) providing an oxygen barrier coating composition comprising:
• i) a polymer that includes a β-hydroxythioether linkage of the following formula:
• wherein:
• R1 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkyl aryl, glycol or polyol group, wherein the alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkyl aryl, glycol or polyol group is substituted with one or more glycidyl groups, wherein the alkyl group of R1 is optionally further substituted with one or more OH, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or glycidyl ether groups or combinations thereof, and the cycloalkyl, aryl, alkyl aryl, glycol or polyol group of R1 optionally further can be substituted with one or more alkyl, OH, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or glycidyl ether groups or combinations thereof, wherein the polymer including the β-hydroxythioether linkage is a reaction product of a multifunctional glycidyl ether and a multifunctional mercapto compound;
• and
• R2 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl group or a heteroaryl group, wherein the alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl group or heteroaryl group of R2 is substituted with one or more mercapto groups, wherein the aryl, alkyl aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl or heteroaryl group optionally can be further substituted with one or more alkyl, OH, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or glycidyl ether groups or combinations thereof;
• and
• ii) water, or a solvent selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons, organic alcohols, organic ethers, organic carbonates, organic esters, halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons, and combinations thereof;
• b) applying the oxygen barrier coating composition to the substrate;
• and
• c) drying the oxygen barrier coating composition.