SUPERVISOR: Alexander BISMARCK

PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: Konstantinos KANELLOPOULOS

Accumulation of plastics in the environment constitutes a major global challenge. Many high-performance polymers such as epoxy thermosets show very limited degradability thanks to their highly crosslinked structures and lack the ability to decompose. Hence, these materials are disposed of in landfills at the end of their service life since their recycling is unfeasible. Most plastics are still produced from fossil-derived resources while the development of bio-based materials lags behind. This dissertation addresses these problems by adopting the concepts of circular bioeconomy and closed-loop recycling. Recyclability and reprocessability of thermosetting materials are achieved through introduction of cleavable bonds into the polymer network. My research focuses on synthesis of lignin-based vitrimers and production of carbon fiber-reinforced composites using bio-based polymer resins. Pursuing this approach might potentially lead to materials with reduced carbon footprint.