On 12th Nov 2024 (Tues), we invited Dr Sabyasachi Gaan from EMPA, Switzerland to deliver a 1-hour seminar and visit our group and laboratory.

Dr Gaan has been working at Empa since 2007 and is currently head of the Additives and Chemistry group in the Laboratory of Advanced Fibers. His group specializes in developing additives for bulk polymers and coatings, synthesis of polymers, and its recycling. His group has developed several phosphorus flame retardants in various commercialization stages. He has published more than 140 scientific articles and 15 patents. Dr Gaan's Group was awarded the Empa Innovation Prize in 2016 for successfully transferring technology to industry. The innovation was synthesizing a new, halogen-free flame retardant, EDA-DOPO, and its use in polyurethane foams. More recently, his group's main efforts have been in developing functional recyclable thermosets, synthesis of functional bio-polyesters and high molecular weight PE, and chemical recycling of PE.

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Topic: Reprocessable Fire Safe Covalent Adaptable Networks
Date: 12 Nov 2024, Tuesday
Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Mode of Delivery: In-person at EF312, PolyU / Online via ZOOM

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Abstract:
About 65 million tons of thermoset resins are manufactured annually, forming an essential backbone of the composite industry. They are suitable for manufacturing fiber-reinforced composites, electronic components, and packaging materials. They are easy to apply and offer excellent mechanical performance at elevated temperatures and chemical inertness. Most thermoset materials are incinerated or landfilled at the end of their life, resulting in a loss of valuable resources and pollution problems. Fire safety is paramount in many applications, such as transportation and buildings. Thus, technological solutions that address the earlier-mentioned challenges as unified solutions will be beneficial. A potential solution would be based on developing covalent adaptable networks that typically behave like a thermoset resin under normal working conditions but are processable at elevated temperatures. This presentation will cover our latest developments in the design of covalent adaptable networks based on phosphonate-ester, carboxy-ester, and amino-ester chemistry. Synthesis strategies of such resins, their thermal, fire, mechanical performances, processability, and potential applications will be discussed in this presentation in detail.