This project supports collaborative research by Dr. Witold Brostow Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, in collaboration with Ayman Atta, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute in Cairo, Egypt. They plan to study the synthesis of some recycled dendritic curable resins based on PET for coating applications. Rapidly increasing use of polymer-based materials (PBMs) increases the usage of petroleum as the starting material for polymer synthesis, also increases further the use of petroleum and/or natural gas as energy sources, and creates a waste disposal problem. All three problems can be solved by recycling. The PIs plan to develop a method of recycling poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) solid waste from beverage bottles, textiles and other sources.
Intellectual Merit: Several types of glycols will be used to make suitable hydroxyoligomers for creation of new materials based on curable resins of the polyester, epoxy and divinyl ester types and also polyurethane foams. The glycolysis will be carried out in the presence of manganese acetate as a catalyst under the atmospheric pressure at 220 degrees C. Mechanical and tribological properties of materials based on recycled PET will be determined. The materials so prepared will have a large variety of potential applications as curable resins and also inexpensive materials (lower cost than those based on virgin PET) to be used to produce polymer concrete, foams and coatings.
Broader Impacts: A solution for PET of the three problems defined above would help greatly with environmental and energy use problems. There is significant synergy based on the complementarities of the expertise and resources in both laboratories. Egyptian students and US students from North Texas University will participate in the research and visit each others laboratories. Results are expected to be in refereed publications in the Journal of Materials Education. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.
