Evonik develops hybrid polymer composites

01-Apr-15

German chemicals and materials group Evonik Industries foresees strong growth in its composites business based on existing products and a hybrid polymer system that it is developing after a breakthrough in R&D, as per Plastics News Europe staff. Since late 2014, Evonik has been demonstrating in pilot plants at its Marl site new hybrid polymer systems, which it says combine the mechanical properties of thermosetting polymers with the faster processing and lower costs of thermoplastics. Potential customers have received samples for testing. Evonik expects the first hybrid polymer systems to be ready for the market in 2018. Its optimism is based on a breakthrough in a joint project with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in which polymer chains can be switched between cross-linking and non-linking. In regular thermoset-based composites, the chemical crosslinking process is irreversible. "Our technology will help to significantly reduce manufacturing costs for composites. We want to contribute to leading the way to bulk production of composites," said Evonik’s chief innovation officer Ulrich Küsthardt. Evonik said the hybrid polymer systems “are able to crosslink without using catalysts in a completely reversible process. Heating causes de-crosslinking and allows the system to be reshaped. During the cooling phase, the crosslink is created again and its shape becomes stable. “A special Diels-Alder reaction causes this phenomenon where the crosslink is almost chemically switched on and off. Material properties are maintained even with repeated heating and cooling.”