Epoxy resins are used for composite manufacturing due to their dimensional stability, high thermo-mechanical performances, etc. The commercial epoxies are oil based, produced by reacting bisphenol A (BPA) with epichlorohydrin, both increasing the ecosystem and human risks. Bisphenol A was classified by Annex XIV of REACH Regulation as a Substance of Very High Concern with endocrine disrupting properties. About 572 kg/year of non-reacted dissolved BPA could leave the wastewater treatment plant and be disposed via the sewages in the whole Europe. Recently epoxy resins including biobased molecules were developed, proving their ability to produce materials with Tg >100 °C, modulus, etc. But, the balance between the biobased carbon content and materials performance is unsolved. Health, pollution, safety and performances will be the critical aspect on molecules selection. By their highly crosslinked structure, thermosets cannot be reprocessed, are treated as wastes & incinerated. An inverse chemical engineering strategy will be used to enable recycling and manage the end-of-life of the products. The selected formulations will target the performances of materials used in space applications. Biobased aromatic molecules will be selected, the rigid chemical units will ensure the materials’ stability in extreme conditions. Outgassing constrain will be crucial for system choice to ensure a direct acceptance for space application.Then, composites with carbon fibers will be produced and tested. Can bisphenol A-free thermosets based on 100% bio-sourced, renewable synthons and products be used to produce high performance carbon fiber reinforced composite? Can this new material source allow to enable new paradigm in the composite manufacturing chain increasing independence at product level, processing flexibility and decreasing cost?
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related webstories by ESA:
- 100% bio-sourced thermoset composites tested for space, 02/08/2022, https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/100_b…
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Discovery…
