Issue 3, 2023

Recyclable thermosets based on modified epoxy-amine network polymers

Abstract

The development of high performance, recyclable thermoset materials for applications in plastics, composites, coatings and adhesives requires a synthetic approach where recyclability is designed into the molecular structure of the material. This paper describes a single stage process for the creation of materials from simple, low-cost molecular building blocks, where the polymerisation of liquid epoxy resins and aliphatic amines in the presence of an n-butyl diboronic ester, delivers epoxy-amine-dioxazaborocane materials with tunable physical properties including glass transition temperature (Tg). Mechanical (thermal) recycling and reprocessing of the epoxy-amine-dioxazaborocane thermoset is demonstrated, with retention of Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength. Most notably, an efficient and low-cost process for the chemical recycling, disassembly and dissolution of the thermoset is demonstrated via two complementary processes using either pinacol (diol) or mono-functional phenylboronic ester.

Graphical abstract: Recyclable thermosets based on modified epoxy-amine network polymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
29 set 2022
Accepted
15 dez 2022
First published
16 dez 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Mater. Horiz., 2023,10, 889-898

Recyclable thermosets based on modified epoxy-amine network polymers

L. Anderson, E. W. Sanders and M. G. Unthank, Mater. Horiz., 2023, 10, 889 DOI: 10.1039/D2MH01211A

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