Study of degradable thermosets

The problem of plastic waste disposal is getting more serious. Especially thermosers are difficult to recycle because their cross-linked nature means also they show insolubility and inability to soften on heating. We are searching for the thermosets which can be easily degraded as scrap, This study was undertaken to investigate whether containing biodegradable polymers helped raise the degradability of thermosets. As a result of our study, it was found that unsaturated polyester resins (UP) containing polycaprolactone (PCL) showed degradability in the mixture of NaOH aq. and ethanol at room temperature. In this mixture,ester bonds solvolyzed in UP as well as in PCL. And we supposed that existance of PCL in crystalline phase contributed to the degradability of blends. In conclusion the results suggested that thermosets/biodegradabIe polymer blends showed great degradability as well as conventional characteristics.