Case Western Reserve University

The Procter Gamble Company

Vahid Karimkhani

Ica Manas-Zloczower

Wade Monroe Hubbard, Jr

Steven Ray Merrigan

Stuart J Rowan

Donald L Feke

Liang Yue

Maxwell Joseph Wingert

Vahab Solouki Bonab

Ammar Patel

Dian Yuan

Boran Zhao

Wade Monroe Hubbard

A High Internal Phase Emulsion (HIPE) foam having cellulose nanoparticles.

High internal phase emulsion foam having cellulose nanoparticles

Methods for recycling thermoset polymers, particularly by changing them into dynamic networks with the use of an appropriate catalyst solution which transforms the thermoset polymer into a vitrimer-like composition. The methods include the step of swelling a crosslinked thermoset polymer in a solution including a catalyst, whereby the catalyst diffuses into the thermoset polymer, in particular into the thermoset network. Upon removal of the liquid portion of the solution, such as solvent, the catalyst facilitates the occurrence of exchange reactions at elevated temperatures, rendering the system a dynamic network. The vitrimerized composition having the thermoset polymer and catalyst is recyclable and processable and thus suitable for many end uses.

Dynamic networks for recycling thermoset polymers

Growing community of inventors

Cleveland, OH, United States of America

Vahid Karimkhani