A GREEN AND UNIQUE THERMOSETTING-THERMOPLASTIC POLYCARBONATE

Of the 300 million tons of plastic produced per year most will require 500 years to biodegrade. Currently only 9% is recycled, and 50 million tons of thermoset plastic produced annually that can't be recycled. _x000D_ _x000D_ This project will develop a sustainable and easily biodegradable polycarbonate plastic that is uniquely a recyclable thermoset resin. We call it a thermosetting thermoplastic because it processes like a thermoplastic, but performs like a thermoset. When heated over 110°C, the tough, cross-linked polymer network fragments into a low viscosity liquid, but upon cooling the resin once again crosslinks. Such a product will revolutionize the thermoset plastic market, not only by its environmental friendliness, but also by providing opportunity for easier processing, cost savings and high performance. Phase I revealed this technology enables powder coatings that cure at very low_x000D_ temperatures, hot melt adhesives that thermoset, glossy decorative coatings that can be spray applied by hot melt, moisture curing coatings that can be applied as thick films and injection moldable plastic that thermosets. These are huge advantages to these multibillion dollar sized markets and to which our company currently sells polycarbonate._x000D_ Our current production and sales infrastructure can be used to sell this technology.