POS9-0793

Bio-Based Dual-Imine Epoxy Vitrimers: High-Performance Reprocessable Thermosets for Sustainable Composite Applications

Topic

S9. Polymer Technology for Sustainability

When and Where

Oct 1, 2026 08:30 - 09:30

Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)

Session Chairs

Jinkee HONG

Ki Su KIM

Presenter(s)

Kundan Singh Rawat (Convergence Research Center for Recyclable Air mobility Materials and Platform, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST))

Co-Author(s)

Yong Chae Jung (Convergence Research Center for Recyclable Air mobility Materials and Platform, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST))

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable structural materials has created a need for thermosetting polymers that combine high mechanical performance with recyclability and reprocessability. In this work, we report a series of fully bio-based epoxy vitrimer networks incorporating dual dynamic imine bonds. The vitrimer systems were synthesized from bio-based diepoxy monomers containing different aliphatic spacer lengths and subsequently cured with diamines to generate dynamic crosslinked networks. The presence of dual imine linkages enabled efficient bond exchange while maintaining network integrity, resulting in materials that exhibited both high strength and reprocessability. Among the synthesized systems, the optimized vitrimer exhibited exceptional tensile strength together with a glass transition temperature suitable for structural applications. Importantly, the materials retained their mechanical performance after ten consecutive hot-press reprocessing cycles, demonstrating excellent durability and repeatability.
The dynamic nature of the network also promoted rapid stress relaxation, allowing reshaping and repair without significant loss of performance. To further explore the sustainability of these materials, carbon-fiber-reinforced vitrimer composites were prepared and subjected to recycling using mild acidic treatment and supercritical water. The vitrimer matrix could be selectively degraded, enabling recovery of carbon-fiber fabrics while preserving their surface morphology and mechanical properties. Overall, this study demonstrates how bio-derived building blocks and dynamic covalent chemistry can be combined to produce high-performance vitrimer composites with closed-loop recyclability. The developed materials offer a promising route toward more sustainable structural composites with extended service life and efficient end-of-life recovery.
Keywords: Bio-based epoxy vitrimer; Carbon fiber recycling; Sustainable composites; Circular materials.

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