Plant-Based Epoxy Curative for Recyclable Thermosetting Elastomers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current footwear recycling methods require deconstruction, especially for complex designs with multiple materials, limiting the recyclability of shoes without significant disassembly.
Innovation Solution
Development of a curative comprising epoxidized triglycerides and naturally occurring polyfunctional carboxylic acids, which forms a pre-polymer that can be applied to various substrates to create leather-like materials with excellent tear strength, flexibility, and dimensional stability, allowing for the production of recyclable footwear without deconstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If footwear is designed with multiple discrete material types for specialized attributes, then performance and functionality are improved, but recyclability deteriorates because deconstruction is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple discrete materials (upper material, midsole foam, outsole rubber) into a single integrated footwear construction made from one thermoplastic material. This merging eliminates the need for deconstruction during recycling while maintaining all necessary functional attributes through material formulation and design, directly resolving the contradiction between functional specialization and recyclability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal thermoplastic material that can serve multiple functions simultaneously - providing structural support, cushioning, flexibility, and durability that were previously requiring separate specialized materials. This multi-functional material enables the footwear to maintain performance across different regions without requiring material differentiation, thus improving recyclability while preserving adaptability
2Ease of manufacture
If footwear is constructed as a single molded thermoplastic, then recyclability is improved, but functional versatility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions within the single molded thermoplastic structure that have different physical properties - such as varying density, flexibility, or hardness - in specific locations to provide specialized functions. This allows the footwear to have areas optimized for cushioning, support, or flexibility without requiring separate materials, thus maintaining both recyclability and functional versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by modifying the thermoplastic material's properties during the molding process - such as temperature, pressure, or additive concentration - to create regions with different characteristics. This enables a single material to exhibit diverse functional properties throughout the footwear structure, resolving the contradiction between simplicity for recycling and complexity for performance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the creation of recyclable footwear with properties similar to natural leather, maintaining integrity and flexibility, and can be reused or recycled without disassembly, addressing the limitations of existing recycling methods.
Implementation Method 1
a curative comprising epoxidized triglycerides and naturally occurring polyfunctional carboxylic acids, which forms a pre-polymer
Implementation Method 2
forms a pre-polymer that can be applied to various substrates to create leather-like materials with excellent tear strength, flexibility, and dimensional stability
Data Source
AI summary
A curative for epoxidized plant-based oils and epoxidized natural rubber is created from the reaction between a naturally occurring polyfunctional acid and an epoxidized plant-based oil is disclosed. The curative may be used to produce at least one of six different materials, wherein each type of material may be configured as a thermosetting elastomer that is crosslinked with ß-hydroxyester linkages. The materials may be configured as a leather-like material, a foam material, a molded elastomer, a coating, an adhesive, and/or a rigid or semi-rigid material. Illustrative articles made from any combination of the six materials may be recycled using a mechano-chemical process to de-crosslink the thermosetting elastomer.