Design for Recycling : Polyester- and Polycarbonate-Based A-B-A Block Copolymers and Their Recyclability Back to Monomers

• Chemical recycling to monomers (CRMs) of A-B-Ablockcopolymers is governed by the chemical structure and thereby the thermodynamicbehavior of different block constituents. Here, we show how a thermodynamictoolkit based on a cyclic monomer structure and solvent propertiescan be utilized in the design of recyclable A-B-A blockcopolymers with varying material properties. By combining four cyclicmonomers lactide, epsilon-decalactone, 2,2-diethyltrimethylene carbonate,and trimethylene carbonate, three different block copolymers werecreated, suitable for different CRM scenarios. The chemical structureof the soft midblock (epsilon-decalactone or trimethylene carbonate)appeared to have a critical impact both on the ring-closing depolymerizationbehavior and mechanical properties, where changing from a polyesterto a polycarbonate soft block increased Young's modulus from14 to 200 MPa. Hence, this work demonstrates the complexity as wellas the opportunities in the design of macromolecular structures fora circular economy.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Polymerkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Polymer Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)