Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Richard A. Gross
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), USA
Keynote: Structure property relationships of biobased epoxy resins
Time : 09:30-09:55
Biography:
Richard A. Gross is currently a Full Professor and a Constellation Chaired Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). His research is focused on developing biocatalytic routes to biobased materials including monomers, macromers, prepolymers, polymers, surfactants and other biochemicals. He has over 500 publications in peer reviewed journals, been cited about 18,000 times (h-index 71), edited 7-books and has 26 patents (granted or filed). Prof. Gross was the recipient of the 2003 Presidential Green Chemistry Award in the academic category. In 2010 he was selected as the Turner Alfrey Visiting Professor and in 2015 he became a Fellow of the ACS Polymer Division. He founded SyntheZyme LLC in 2009 and serves as CTO.
Abstract:
Levulinic acid is produced from cellulose, the most abundant biomacromolecule on the planet, by the acid hydrolysis of cellulose and resulting C6 sugars. Diphenolic acid (DPA) is synthesized by condensation of levulinic acid with two equivalents of phenol. A series of bio-based epoxy monomers were prepared from diphenolic acid (DPA) by transforming the free acid into n-alkyl esters and the phenolic hydroxyl groups into diglycidyl ethers. Increasing the chain length of DGEDP n-alkyl esters from methyl to n-pentyl resulted in large decreases in epoxy resin viscosity (700-to-11Pa.s). The storage modulus of DPA epoxy resins, cured with isophorone diamine, also varied with n-alkyl ester chain length (e.g. 3300 and 2100 MPa for thernrnmethyl and n-pentyl esters). The Young’s modulus and tensile strengths were about 1,150 and 40 MPa, respectively, for all the cured resins tested (including DGEBA) and varied little as a function of ester length. This work demonstrates that diglycidyl ethers of n-alkyl diphenolates represent a new family of bio-based liquid epoxy resins that, when cured, have similar properties to those from DGEBA.rnrnCombinations of DGEDP-Me, a rigid high viscosity biobased epoxy resin, and a flexible lower viscosity epoxy resin from cashew nut shell liquid (NC-514), provided control of the resin viscosity and important improvements in cured epoxy resin toughness relative to the neat resins. Relative to the neat high viscosity resin, 1:1 w/w mixtures of the rigid and flexible epoxy resin components gave increases in the impact strength and mode I fracture toughness of 136% and 66%, respectively. The monofunctional glycidyl ether of eugenol (GE) was used as a reactive diluent for the diglycidyl ether of DGEDP-Pe. Viscosities of GE and DGEDP-Pe are 25 mPa.s and 11 Pa.s, respectively. GE/DGEDP-Pe epoxy resins with 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 wt % GE were analyzed for viscosity reductions, and, subsequently, cured with isophorone diamine. The glassy modulus of cured GE/DGEDP-Pe epoxy resins remained between 2000 and 3000 MPa. The role of GE as a reactive diluent will be discussed and a 15% loading was determined to be suitable for a vacuum infusion epoxy resin/glass composite system.
Keynote Forum
Dean C. Webster
North Dakota State University, USA
Keynote: Bio-based thermosets from star-like highly functional reactive resins
Time : 09:55-10:20
Biography:
Dean Webster is Professor and Chair in the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University. He received a B.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering Science both from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining NDSU in 2001 he worked for Sherwin-Williams and at Eastman Chemical Company. He is the recipient of the 2011 Roy W. Tess Award in Coatings Science given by the American Chemical Society,the 2013 Joesph Mattiello Lecture award given by the American Coatings Association, and the Waldron Research Award given by the NDSU Alumni Association. His research is in the area of new high performance polymer systems for coatings and composites, nanocomposites, polymers for marine antifouling coatings, and use of renewable resources in polymers and coatings systems.
Abstract:
A challenge faced with transitioning from polymer materials derived from petrochemical sources to bio-based sources is in designing materials having the performance properties required for today’s applications. High performance thermoset polymers are used in applications such as coatings, composites, and adhesives and are made in-situ from the reactions of functional low molecular weight resins or functional oligomers. While vegetable oils are a readily available and amenable to functionalization to be used in thermosets, their long aliphatic hydrocarbon chains tend to result in materials that are soft and flexible. However, we have found that by creating multifunctional resins from vegetable oil fatty acids and a highly functional polyol, thermosets can be formed that have the strength and stiffness for use in high performance coatings and composites. For example, epoxidized sucrose esters crosslinked with cyclic anhydrides yield thermosets having modulus values exceeding 1 GPa. Polyurethanes made using highly functional soy polyols have glass transition temperatures exceeding 100 °C, much higher than typical soy-based polyols. Methacrylated sucrose esters can be used to form high performance composites using either glass or natural fibers. It has also been discovered that 100% bio-based thermosets can be made from the water-catalyzed crosslinking of epoxidized sucrose soyate with naturally-occurring acids.
Keynote Forum
Amar Mohanty
University of Guelph, Canada
Keynote: Circular economy and sustainability of bioplastics and biobased materials: New challenges and future prospective
Time : 10:20-10:45
Biography:
Prof. Amar Mohanty, Professor and Ontario Premier’s Research Chair in Biomaterials and Transportation at the University of Guelph, Canada is an international leader in the field of biomaterials with a focus in engineering new sustainable materials. Prof. Mohanty's research interests are focused on the bioeconomy R&D related to biobased materials and biorefinery (value-added uses of coproducts/byproducts from biofuel and food industries). He has more than 700 publications to his credit, including 284 peer-reviewed journal papers, 380 conference presentations/abstracts, 4 edited books, 18 book chapters, and 46 Patents awarded/applied. Hi research has been cited totally 18,275 times as reported by Google Scholar (Sep. 7, 2016) with an h-index of 64 and an i10-index of 202. His RG score is reported as high as 45.21 by ResearchGate (Sep. 7, 2016) which is higher than that of 97.5% of ResearchGate members. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society (BEPS) in 2015. Prof. Mohanty is an accomplished researcher and was the holder of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. He received the Andrew Chase Forest Products Division Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and was also the the Jim Hammer Memorial Service Awardee from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society. Dr. Mohanty serves as Editorial Board Member for seven international journals.
Abstract:
Renewable resource-based nature of bioplastics and biobased materials is not enough in bringing these emerging bioproducts to market place for societal benefit. Circular economy is a concept that targets waste minimization through a closed loop system thereby helping a sustainable development. The co-product and byproduct of one industry can find value-added uses if appropriately integrated in the design and engineering of biobased materials of commercial attraction. Bioplastic as such may be comparatively expensive as compared to traditional and petro-based plastics. An undervalued co-product of one industry can be integrated into a bioplastic in creating novel biobased materials for new industrial uses. The coproducts from biofuel, pyrolysis as well as food processing industries show immense potential as fillers or reinforcing materials for plastics in creating a range of eco-friendly and sustainable biocomposites. This presentation will provide an overview on the recent development of these biobased composite materials for industrial uses in green packaging, consumer products and light weight auto-parts.
Group Photo and Coffee Break: 10:45 -11:05 @ Foyer