Chemical and Solvent-Based Recycling of DGEBA-Based Epoxy Thermoset and Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite Utilizing Imine-Containing Secondary Amine Hardener

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Abstract

Epoxy systems are essential in numerous industrial applications due to their exceptional mechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. Yet, recycling epoxy networks and reinforcing materials in epoxy composites remains challenging, raising environmental concerns. The critical challenge is the recovery of well-defined molecules upon depolymerization. To address these issues, an innovative strategy is developed utilizing imine-containing secondary amine hardener (M1). The reaction of M1 with DGEBA produced high-performance epoxy thermoset P1, which exhibits Young's modulus of 2.18 GPa and tensile strength of 63.4 MPa, and excellent stability in neutral aqueous conditions. Upon carbon-fiber reinforcement, Young's modulus and tensile strength are significantly elevated to 10.99 GPa and 328.3 MPa, respectively. The reactive secondary amine functionalities enabled the tailored network to display a well-defined growth pattern, yielding only well-defined molecules and intact carbon fibers upon acidic depolymerization. Consequently, the recycled polymers retained properties identical to those of P1. Notably, it is discovered that despite the cross-linked nature of the epoxy networks, complete dissolution in dichloromethane facilitated straightforward solvent-based recycling, allowing the recovery of undamaged carbon fibers and an epoxy thermoset with properties matching the virgin material. Presented novel monomer design and approach showcased two important and efficient recycling options for epoxy systems.
Original languageEnglish
Article number2400678
Number of pages10
JournalMacromolecular Rapid Communications
Volume46
Issue number2
Early online date9 Nov 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2025

Funding

This research was financially supported by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (Gravity Program 024.005.020 \u2013 Interactive Polymer Materials IPM). The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Ankita Mandal for experimental support (Raman Spectroscopy).

Keywords

  • carbon-fiber
  • epoxy thermoset
  • imine
  • recycling
  • secondary amine
  • Tensile Strength
  • Temperature
  • Carbon Fiber/chemistry
  • Solvents/chemistry
  • Epoxy Resins/chemistry
  • Epoxy Compounds/chemistry
  • Imines/chemistry
  • Amines/chemistry
  • Molecular Structure

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