The utilization of wood-derived building blocks (xylochemicals) to replace fossil-based precursors is an attractive research subject of modern polymer science [1, 2]. The continuing development of new bio-based feedstocks opens opportunities to increase the resource base from which chemical and materials engineers can draw to meet specific polymer property requirements. Recently, significant efforts have transpired to obtain bio-based polymers and copolymers with enhanced thermomechanical properties for a wide variety of applications [3, 4]. In continuing these efforts, we have prepared and examined novel linear aromatic, semiaromatic and aliphatic polyesters derived from varied xylochemicals. In order to prepare a series of polyesters with varied and well-defined thermomechanical properties, bio-based bisphenolic analogues, synthesized <i>via</i> electrophilic aromatic condensations of lignin-based building blocks, and naturally available triterpene diols were polymerized with multiple activated diacids through interfacial or melt polycondensations [5, 6]. These novel thermoplastics were characterized to assess their processing-structure-property relationships and compared to industrial, fossil-based “equivalents”. The results of our studies illustrate that these new polymers are valid alternatives to petroleum-based materials currently employed in the plastics industry and are able to withstand extremely elevated temperatures.<br/><br/>

Towards sustainable high performance thermoplastics: Synthesis, characterization, and enzymatic hydrolysis of xylochemical based polyesters

2019 Spring National Meeting

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