Design of 3D-Printable Polymers Based on Regional Resources
We develop durable, recyclable plastics that combine high performance with sustainability. Through dynamic bonds, we enable self-healing properties, recycling, and advanced 3D printability for complex designs.
At Innovations Team B7, we create durable, recyclable plastics that balance high performance with sustainability. We develop materials using dynamic chemistry to enable self-healing properties, efficient recycling, and advanced 3D printability for complex designs. Our research also tackles environmental aspects, studying how polymers are degraded and how this impacts human health.
weiterlesen
Vitrimers combine the strength of thermosets with thermoplastic recyclability, so offering a solution to waste management. These materials can be reprocessed, reshaped and recycled due to their embedded dynamic bonds. At Innovations Team B7, we are focusing on:
- Sustainable materials and manufacturing via 3D printing: we engineer bio-based polyester and polyester amide vitrimers activated by metal-free catalysts for various applications. Advanced 3D printing methods enable the design complex thermoset geometries.
- Recyclable energy solutions: we are developing reprocessable vitrimeric electrolytes, to enhancing battery safety and recyclability/reprocessability.
- Beyond vitrimers, microplastic pollution: We will integrate considerations on the impact of our developed materials on organisms, how microplastic particles are generated and their impact on human health.
Team
Dr. Zviadi Katcharavan, Team Leader
Philipp Hilgeroth
Mrunal Karle
Juliana Martins-Schalinski
Tshepiso Tema