A critical review on the sustainability of inverse vulcanised polymers

Abstract

With increasing environmental pollution and climate change there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to tackle these challenges. However, especially since we live in the age of plastics with a linear economy it is important to not only look at their recyclability, biodegradability or that they are made from renewable resources, but also their whole lifecycle from resourcing to end-of-life treatment in order to achieve circularity. Inverse vulcanised polymers are claimed to be a green and more sustainable alternative to a wide range of materials for applications in energy storage, separation systems, construction and agriculture to just name a few. The use of waste material for their synthesis as well as the unique properties of these materials might be a game changer. But the path to large scale industrial production and application is still far as the scale-up comes with its own set of challenges. Herein, we take a closer look at the individual milestones in the lifecycle of inverse vulcanised polymers and how they can fit in as a more sustainable material along the road.