Synthesis and Properties of Bio-based and Renewable Polymeric Products

The development of new or improved polymeric products constitutes a relevant challenge, at both academic and industrial level, related with environmental issues, mainly waste accumulation. Furthermore, the future of limited supply of petroleum as raw material for the polymer industry urges the design of new and/or improved “sustainable” polymeric products. The word “sustainability” entails here a (chemical) design concept that tackles these two main issues, i.e. the relevant dependency from non-renewable sources as well as the problem connected with the generated end-of-life waste. Two different approaches, albeit in some cases interconnected, are hereby developed. The first one involves full or partial use of renewable raw materials, eventually disposable (e.g. biodegradable) at the end-of-life of the corresponding product. This approach is demonstrated with the development of bioplastics (i.e. blends of starch with polycaprolactone and jatropha oil-based polymer) which provides end products that are biodegradable and at least partly renewable. The second approach involves the life-time improvement of current (petroleum-based) polymeric products, e.g. thermosets. This research incorporates the development of thermoreversible epoxy resin and cross-linked alternating polyketone and explores the possibility to recycle the materials according to a “cradle to cradle” strategy. A combination of the two strategies (yielding new polymeric materials from renewable sources but also recyclable according to a “cradle to cradle” approach) constitutes an ideal “sustainable” solution to the issues outlined above.