Accurate measurements and quantitative models of polymer structure-property-performance relationships are critically needed to evaluate and compare next-generation materials. Supporting the development of sustainable polymers and processing methodologies involves understanding the impacts of molar mass, chemical composition, and architectural distributions of complex polymers to optimize the design of compatibilizers for mechanical recycling, additives for chemical recycling, and degradation lifetimes for polymers in the environment. This talk will highlight efforts to make families of model polyolefin copolymers and compatibilizers and the subsequent characterization of branching content and chain conformation via high temperature size exclusion chromatography. With this information, further characterization of these materials in bulk systems can be studied and results correlated to homogeneous, well characterized materials. Furthermore, for materials designed to degrade, where recovery and recycling is not practical, understanding environmental degradation kinetics on polymer topology and chemistry are crucial to material design. This presentation will also highlight efforts in our laboratory to study environmental degradation of polyolefins with systematic study of chemical, molecular, and thermal properties with material depth to develop improved aging models as benchmarks for current marine debris. This research can be used to aid in sampling degraded plastic debris and with alternate techniques of identification, quantitative degradation measurements, and (ultimately) information to develop predictive models of polymer degradation pathways.

Characterization of degraded and model post-consumer resins to support emerging needs in materials sustainability

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.