SusChEM: BPA Replacement with Non-Toxic Biobased Monomers

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NON-TECHNICAL:Many chemicals used in the plastics industry today are known to be toxic with adverse effects on human health and the environment. The objective of this SusChEM research project is to replace a well-known endocrine disrupting (ED) chemical used extensively in some plastics, coatings and adhesives called Bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA will be replaced with new biobased substitutes that will have the following important attributes: (a) Renewable Resources: Be synthesized using chemicals derived from renewable resources such as lignin, which is the world's most abundant renewable resource from trees and plants; (b) Properties: Have similar high performance properties to petroleum-based chemicals when used in such high volume applications as food containers, polycarbonates, composite resins and epoxy adhesives; (c) Toxicity: Have minimal impact on human health and the environment and have a low carbon-footprint; (d) Cost: Be produced in high volumes at low cost for the coatings, composites, automotive and renewable energy fields. This grand intellectual challenge will be tackled in a unique manner using a multidisciplinary approach which optimally integrates green chemistry, polymer science, structure-property relations, toxicity and renewable resources. TECHNICAL:The objective of this SusChEM research project is to replace a well-known endocrine disrupting (ED) monomer, Bisphenol-A (BPA), with a library of biobased substitutes such as Bisguaiacol-F (BGF) that will have the following important attributes: (a) Be synthesized using monomers from renewable resources such as guaiacol and vanillin from lignin; (b) Have similar thermal and mechanical properties to petroleum-based chemicals when used with co-monomers in high-performance polycarbonates, composite resins and adhesives; (c) Have low ED and environmental toxicity and (d) Be produced in high volumes at low cost for the coatings, composites, automotive food packaging and renewable energy fields. The project involves synthesis, polymer characterization, materials structure-properties, and computational and experimental toxicity studies. The greatest sustainability impact of this research will come from providing a non-toxic alternative to BPA from renewable resources that will both ensure future supplies of high-performance plastics and composites while bolstering the high volumes needed for the food packaging industry, renewable energy development in the wind turbine industry and the next generation of composite-based, fuel efficient, light-weight automobiles.