Cardanol based dimers are provided. The cardanol dimers are formed by hydrosylylation with silanes. Cardanol based dimers may be further reacted to form epoxy curing agents and epoxies which can be used as anti-fouling coatings on ship hulls and marine structures. The cardanol dimers may also be used to produce friction particles or phenolic resins. Methods of synthesizing the cardanol based dimers, the epoxy curing agents and the epoxies are also provided.