Development of thermo-curing resin gradually degraded to safe metabolites in water

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22212
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 35:Polymers, organic materials, and related fields
• Research Institution: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: Ochiai Bungo 山形大学, 大学院理工学研究科, 教授 (20361272)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 生分解性材料 / 熱硬化性樹脂 / エポキシ / ポリエステル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed a thermosetting resin with stability under ambient conditions and environmental degradability based on a curing system of glycidates and acid anhydrides. This curing proceeds via alternating copolymerization of glycidate and anhydride. Accordingly, the main chain of the cured product comprises of the polyester backbone. The cured products show excellent adhesiveness to metal and inert polymeric substrates comparable to conventional epoxy curing systems. The cured products from glycidate was stable in neutral water, while completely degraded in compost. This degradation was not occurred for the alternative cured product from glycidyl ether.

Free Research Field

高分子化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で得られた材料は、優れた力学特性と環境中での分解性を両立した新規熱硬化性樹脂である。熱硬化性樹脂はその堅牢さが故に環境中に残存しやすいが、適切な条件下では微生物で分解できる材料を開発することができた。今後酸無水物構造をさらに変更すれば、全骨格が代謝される熱硬化性樹脂を開発可能であり、プラスチックによる環境負荷を低減可能である。