Presentation description

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) are incredibly versatile materials with properties such as light weight and high strength, making them applicable in many different fields, such as automotive, aerospace, or construction. However, these properties often come at the cost of recyclability, and growing demand for CFRP products poses future environmental risks. As a result, covalent adaptable networks (CANs), which are often recyclable by design, are being incorporated more frequently into composite materials. While a variety of CANs have been developed, balancing durability, recyclability, and ease of production remains a challenge. This project aimed to create thioacetal oligomers using biomass derived chemicals (vanillin and furfural). These oligomers would then be used to create a low viscosity, quick curing resin based on thioacetal epoxy chemistry to be used in CFRPs.