+ 2019 DICARBONEX – CO2 as reagent to functionalize polymers harnessing reactive extrusion

Project promoter

Yves CHALAMET Professor Université Jean Monet

chalamet@nulluniv-st-etienne.fr

Member laboratorie(s)


 

DURATION : 3 years

FUNDING : 215 000 €

INDUSTRIAL SECTOR : Chimie et matériaux

PLATFORM INGENIERIE@LYON : Matériaux et procédés

Area(s) of search

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the DICARBOREX project is to provide new functionalities (especially reactive polar) to polymers (most often apolar) by post-modification in extruder (reactive extrusion catalysis) using CO2 as a functionalizing agent. Its originality lies in the chemistry developed around CO2 and its coupling to a reactive extrusion process.

Our strategy is to move gradually towards more and more complex chemical modifications of polymers that are increasingly chemically by CO2 carboxylation. This corresponds to functions in the polymer that are less and less reactive: 1) CO2 carboxylation of epoxide, 2) oxidative carboxylation of olefins (C(sp2)-H by CO2 3) oxidative carboxylation of alkane (C(sp3)-H) by CO2. If catalytic carboxylation of epoxide is a mature domain, it is not the case of oxidizing carboxylations of alkenes and a fortiori of alkanes.

In the first case, the targets will be relatively polar polymers with epoxy functions such as reactive polyolefins or epoxy silicones. In the second case, apolar polymers with unsaturations will be usedbearing insaturations such as homo- and copolymers of conjugated dienes or olefin functionalized silicones will be used. Finally, the latter case will concern apolar polymers such as polyolefins.
As regards to the process,it will be necessary to transpose the reactions carried out in an autoclave to extrusion. In addition to the classically optimized extrusion parameters to make the chemical reaction and extrusion compatible, it will be necessary to integrate the presence of CO2, both to maintain supercritical conditions but also as a reactive component. The transposition  will be implemented at the laboratory and pilot scale on the R&D FluSCritEx platform.

Finally, the ultimate objective of this project is to propose polymer materials with modular functionalities and properties, to tune their physico-chemical characteristics such as their polarity, crystallinity, reactivity without restricting their recyclability, since they can either be used pure or mixed with their original matrices.

The idea is to offer to the plastics industry a range of polymers with performance adapted to the target markets by integrating a sustainable approach at the process and material level while remaining competitive in a context of international economic competition.

Interlabo 2019 DICARBOREX Signature Projet        Interlabo 2019 DICARBOREX Image Secteur Industriel

An engineering adapted to the servicesof the stakes in our partners

CCI LYON, VIBRATECH, THALES, AREVA, VOLVO, RENAULT, MICHELIN, ANNEALSYS, HUTCHINSON, EDF R&D ENERBAT, riber, SKF, EDF, PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN, SAFRAN, CARA, ST MICROELECTRONICS, SEB, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, ...