ERIC Number: EJ1302439
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Apr
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
"Reprocessable Thermosets": Synthesis and Characterization of Vitrimer in the Undergraduate Lab Course
Chen, Qiaomei; Yang, Yang; Yu, Ying; Xu, Huaping
Journal of Chemical Education, v98 n4 p1429-1435 Apr 2021
This article introduces a novel experiment that involves vitrimers, a new type of polymer, in polymer chemistry and physics lab courses for undergraduate students. Vitrimers are permanently cross-linked networks that can be reprocessed under certain external stimuli. Therefore, they combine the advantages of traditional thermoplastics (excellent reprocess ability) with thermosets (outstanding mechanical properties and environmental stability). They can be regarded as a kind of "special thermoset", which moves this industry toward a more sustainable path, as they are conducive to decreasing thermosetting wastes, reducing environmental pollution, and cutting down the waste of resources. From this lab class, students obtained more experience in the preparation and characterization of polymers. They also learned the concepts of dynamic chemistries and vitrimers and gained a better understanding of the advantages and limitations of thermosets and thermoplastics, as well as a strategy for making a reprocess able thermoset polymeric material. It also fostered students' interest in functional materials and inspired them to design other functional materials. Moreover, this experimental setup is convenient and safe for implementation and dissemination in most undergraduate laboratory classes.
Descriptors: Chemistry, Science Instruction, Physics, Teaching Methods, Laboratory Experiments, Undergraduate Students, Networks, Thermodynamics, Wastes, Plastics, Pollution, Student Interests, Laboratory Safety
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A