Additive Eases Thermoset Recycling Cleavable comonomer spurs end-of-life breakdown

摘要

THERMOSET PLASTICS are well known for their durability and heat-resistant qualities.However,the strong chemical bonds holding them together have thwarted efforts to break them down to allow recycling.To more easily break down the materials but still retain their mechanical strength,chemists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT),Cambridge,Mass.,have developed a way to modify them using a cleavable comonomer.The process involves adding silyl ether monomers to the liquid precursors that form the thermoset polydicyclopentadiene(pDCPD).The researchers discovered the silyl ether monomer,when included at a level of 7.5-10%,breaks down pDCPD into a soluble powder upon exposure to fluoride ions.The researchers next used the recycled powder to form a new pDCPD thermoset.