Professors Giuseppe Palmese (PI) and Cameron Abrams of Drexel’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering were awarded a $2.4 million cooperative agreement from ARL entitled “Bio-based Thermosets with Superior Performance Characteristics.” The project is in collaboration with researchers from ARL, PPG and Prof. Joseph Stanzione III (Drexel ‘08) of Rowan University. The overarching theme of the proposed work is to gain a fundamental understanding of the processing-structure-property relationships of novel bio-based systems, enabling the design of thermosets with superior performance characteristics specific to their intended application. In this way, nature’s chemistries will be used to improve the economy of systems in the areas of coatings, adhesives, and composites critical to military and civilian applications. Benefits of this program will be: (1) expanding the processing-structure-property window of thermosets; (2) producing novel polymers with improved properties; (3) reducing toxicity of monomers and resins; and (4) enhancing sustainable development by taking advantage of what nature provides. This work builds on nearly two decades of work by Palmese and co-workers related to the development of materials from renewable sources including methacrylated fatty acid (MFA) monomers for styrene replacement and grafted triglycerides used as bio-rubber tougheners – two technologies which have been licensed and are being commercialized by Dixie Chemical.
Video(s):
"Introducing our CBE Faculty: Prof. Cameron Abrams"
"Introducing our CBE Faculty: Prof. Giuseppe Palmese"