Synthesis and Characterization of Sustainable Thermoplastic ABA Triblock Copolymers from Bio-based Materials

Project Description

The long-term goal of this research program is to develop and synthesize a series of sustainable thermoplastic polymers with high performance to better address the issues related to food packaging, green additive manufacturing, plastic waste recycling, and environmental sustainability, leading to the rational design in the field of sustainable polymeric materials and the socio-economic aspects of sustainability. The proposed project will generate crucial insights into the new design concepts of sustainable thermoplastic polymers with unique physical, mechanical, thermal, and elastomeric properties. It would thus provide the basic scientific knowledge necessary for controlling and optimizing the origin of molecular design and structural functionalization at the nanoscale, hierarchical organization of polymeric materials at the macroscale, and macroscopic properties in a bulk state at the modular scale. Upon successful completion of this project, it will enable cost-effective sustainable materials and allow for wider adoption of these rational designs of thermoplastic polymer materials towards new technologies and practical applications in food packaging industries, green additive manufacturing, and plastic waste recycling for the improvement of environmental sustainability.

Instruments