TY - JOUR
T1 - Monomer selection for in situ polymerization infusion manufacture of natural-fiber reinforced thermoplastic-matrix marine composites
AU - Qin, Yang
AU - Summerscales, John
AU - Graham-Jones, Jasper
AU - Meng, Maozhou
AU - Pemberton, Richard
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2020/12/7
Y1 - 2020/12/7
N2 - Awareness of environmental issues has led to increasing interest from composite researchers in using “greener” materials to replace synthetic fiber reinforcements and petrochemical polymer matrices. Natural fiber bio-based thermoplastic composites could be an appropriate choice with advantages including reducing environmental impacts, using renewable resources and being recyclable. The choice of polymer matrix will significantly affect the cost, manufacturing process, mechanical properties and durability of the composite system. The criteria for appropriate monomers are based on the processing temperature and viscosity, polymer mechanical properties, recyclability, etc. This review considers the selection of thermoplastic monomers suitable for in situ polymerization during resin, now monomer, infusion under flexible tooling (RIFT, now MIFT), with a primary focus on marine composite applications. Given the systems currently available, methyl methacrylate (MMA) may be the most suitable monomer, especially for marine composites. MMA has low process temperatures, a long open window for infusion, and low moisture absorption. However, end-of-life recovery may be limited to matrix depolymerization. Bio-based MMA is likely to become commercially available in a few years. Polylactide (PLA) is an alternative infusible monomer, but the relatively high processing temperature may require expensive consumable materials and could compromise natural fiber properties.
AB - Awareness of environmental issues has led to increasing interest from composite researchers in using “greener” materials to replace synthetic fiber reinforcements and petrochemical polymer matrices. Natural fiber bio-based thermoplastic composites could be an appropriate choice with advantages including reducing environmental impacts, using renewable resources and being recyclable. The choice of polymer matrix will significantly affect the cost, manufacturing process, mechanical properties and durability of the composite system. The criteria for appropriate monomers are based on the processing temperature and viscosity, polymer mechanical properties, recyclability, etc. This review considers the selection of thermoplastic monomers suitable for in situ polymerization during resin, now monomer, infusion under flexible tooling (RIFT, now MIFT), with a primary focus on marine composite applications. Given the systems currently available, methyl methacrylate (MMA) may be the most suitable monomer, especially for marine composites. MMA has low process temperatures, a long open window for infusion, and low moisture absorption. However, end-of-life recovery may be limited to matrix depolymerization. Bio-based MMA is likely to become commercially available in a few years. Polylactide (PLA) is an alternative infusible monomer, but the relatively high processing temperature may require expensive consumable materials and could compromise natural fiber properties.
KW - Monomer
KW - Natural fiber
KW - Thermoplastic
KW - Vacuum infusion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097521040&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/12/2928
U2 - 10.3390/polym12122928
DO - 10.3390/polym12122928
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85097521040
SN - 2073-4360
VL - 12
SP - 1
EP - 25
JO - Polymers
JF - Polymers
IS - 2
M1 - 2928
ER -