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EFRI E3P: CAS: Transformative Upcycling of Polymers by Activating Chemistries

EFRI E3P：CAS：通过活化化学物质实现聚合物的转型升级循环

基本信息

批准号：
2132133
负责人：
Jason Bara
金额：
$ 199.99万
依托单位：
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2021-08-15 至 2025-07-31
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2132133&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
EFRI E3P CAS Transformative Upcycling

项目摘要

This project envisions a transformative “upcycling” of common end-of-life plastics (ELPs) by depolymerization (i.e., deconstruction) mechanisms that are achieved using “activating” chemistries. These activating chemistries are straightforward, scalable chemical reactions that modify the waste polymers such that the subsequent depolymerization products are much more valuable and useful than products obtained through conventional recycling or established depolymerization chemistries. This project focuses on enabling depolymerization and upcycling of two of the most difficult to recycle polymers - poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and polyurethane (PU) materials. The global demand for PVC and PU products continues to grow despite the lack of any viable recycling methods for these materials. This project will develop novel methods for converting waste PVC to small molecules that have existing uses as chemical intermediates, consumer products, solvents, and other end-uses. Similarly, polyurethane (PU) materials will be broken down into more valuable molecules via reactions that yield carbon-carbon double bonds in the final products. Oligomers (the products of partial depolymerization) derived from PVC and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) will be used to form thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). Unlike thermoset elastomers, TPEs can be melted, molded, reprocessed, are potentially easier to recycle, and are much more valuable than typical thermoset elastomers and plastics. The project provides highly interdisciplinary research training for graduate and undergraduate students and creates an annual summer immersion experience for high school students in Tuscaloosa, AL. The summer immersion experience is expected to instill a personal investment in helping to eliminate ELPs from the environment and to explore the students’ interest in pursuing engineering as a career. A synergistic activity for high school students aligned with the American Chemical Society Project SEED is planned at Iowa State University.With support from the Engineering Directorate's Division of Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities and the Division of Chemistry, this project will recover the intrinsic value “locked away” within ELPs by using activating chemistries that enable new depolymerization products from ELPs. These enabling technologies will incentivize recovery rather than disposal (which is a particular concern for “hard to recycle” materials such as PVC and PU), reduce dependence on petroleum resources, and prevent plastic wastes from polluting the environment. The project will create transformative new avenues for upcycling common ELPs via activating chemistries and subsequent depolymerization into value-added small molecules, including methods that recombine these molecules into more useful and durable polymer products. A fundamental understanding of how to convert these wastes into valuable small molecules will be gained through an integrated experimental-computational approach that examines the proper conditions for PVC and PU activation and depolymerization. The synthesis of TPE materials via partial depolymerization of PET and PVC and subsequent recombination of these oligomers promises to create much more valuable and useful polymer materials from waste. The research plan emphasizes understanding reaction mechanisms and selectivity, product analysis/identification, separation of the depolymerization products of PVC and PU, and characterization of TPE materials.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目设想通过解聚（即，解构）机制，这些机制使用“活化”化学物质实现。这些活化化学是直接的、可扩展的化学反应，其改性废聚合物，使得随后的解聚产物比通过常规再循环或已建立的解聚化学获得的产物更有价值和有用。该项目的重点是实现两种最难回收的聚合物-聚氯乙烯（PVC）和聚氨酯（PU）材料的解聚和升级循环。全球对PVC和PU产品的需求持续增长，尽管这些材料缺乏任何可行的回收方法。该项目将开发将废PVC转化为小分子的新方法，这些小分子目前可用作化学中间体、消费品、溶剂和其他最终用途。同样，聚氨酯（PU）材料将通过在最终产品中产生碳碳双键的反应分解成更有价值的分子。来自PVC和聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）的低聚物（部分解聚的产物）将用于形成热塑性弹性体（TPE）。与热固性弹性体不同，TPE可以熔化、模制、再加工，可能更容易回收，并且比典型的热固性弹性体和塑料更有价值。该项目为研究生和本科生提供了高度跨学科的研究培训，并为塔斯卡卢萨的高中生创造了一年一度的暑期沉浸式体验。暑期沉浸式体验预计将灌输个人投资，以帮助消除环境中的ELP，并探索学生对追求工程作为职业的兴趣。爱荷华州州立大学计划为高中生开展一项与美国化学学会SEED项目相一致的协同活动。在工程理事会新兴前沿和多学科活动部以及化学部的支持下，该项目将通过使用活化化学物质，使ELP产生新的解聚产物，从而恢复ELP中“锁定”的内在价值。这些赋能技术将鼓励回收而不是处置（这是PVC和PU等“难以回收”材料的一个特别问题），减少对石油资源的依赖，并防止塑料废物污染环境。该项目将通过激活化学物质和随后的解聚为增值小分子，包括将这些分子重组为更有用和耐用的聚合物产品的方法，为普通ELP的升级改造创造新的途径。如何将这些废物转化为有价值的小分子的基本理解将通过一个综合的实验计算方法，检查PVC和PU的活化和解聚的适当条件。通过PET和PVC的部分解聚以及这些低聚物的后续重组来合成TPE材料，有望从废物中产生更有价值和有用的聚合物材料。该研究计划强调理解反应机理和选择性、产品分析/鉴定、PVC和PU解聚产物的分离以及TPE材料的表征。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。