(6hi) Two-Component Polymeric Systems That Provide High Performance, Easy Operation, Environmental Friendliness, and Health Benefits

Coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE) are used in an easy operation processes and exhibit high performance. Thus, they are readily used in applications including, military, aerospace, electronics, automotive, marine equipment, energy, and infrastructure. Two-component (2K) polymeric liquid or semi-liquid resins are the main choice of CASE due to their cure-on-demand nature that provides high performance. Common 2K systems include, epoxy, thiol-ene, polyurethane, polyurea, polyester, and so forth. However, there is increasing interest in overcoming the environmental and health concerns associated with CASE. Here, I will present my development sustainable resins and 2K polymers. The epoxy resins are derived from the plant-derived phenolic acid are an ideal replacement of bisphenol A, which are a concern to the public and the industry due to their health effects and nonrenewable petroleum source. Also, a chemical-structure-properties study on sustainable thiol-ene elastomer based on various phenolic acids will be discussed for a methodology to easily prescreen resins for high-performance 2K polymers merely based on their chemical structure before a comprehensive design of experiment. Additionally, I will showcase polymer particles fabricated through colloidal engineering. A novel particle containing reactive resin was developed in a scalable suspension polymerization reactor. This technique enabled high-performance 2K coatings at room temperature without releasing the toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted from conventional solvent-based coatings, thus, reducing environmental and human health risks.

Research Interests:

Additive manufacture and 3D printing materials

High-performance and sustainable polymer materials

Particles Engineering Through Colloidal Processing

Teaching Interests:

Chemical Engineering and Polymer Materials