A single chemical reactor could be reconfigured to produce multiple different plastics on demand, replacing entire factories that today are locked into making just one product each. This matters because current plastic manufacturing is rigid and wasteful. Plants cost hundreds of millions of pounds to build and must run for decades to pay off that investment, which locks the industry into a narrow set of materials. Most plastics come from oil or gas, are not chemically recycled, and do not biodegrade. The new process uses renewable feedstocks such as carbon dioxide and bio-derived monomers, and the resulting polymers are designed for recycling or biodegradation at end of life. If successful, this approach could transform how high-value plastics are made. The researcher plans to demonstrate the concept in three sectors: recyclable thermoplastic elastomers, shape-memory plastics for robotics, and delivery agents for biomolecule therapies. By starting with commodity monomers like propene oxide and maleic anhydride, the work is designed for rapid industrial uptake. The fellowship also includes sabbaticals and secondments to build collaborations and transfer skills. The result would be a flexible, sustainable manufacturing platform that can respond to new industrial needs without building a new plant each time.
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In the UK, the plastic industry alone employs >170,000 people and has an annual sale turnover of >£23.5 billion, it is also one of the top 10 UK exports. Worldwide polymer production volumes exceed 300 Mt/annum, with CAGR of 5-10%. Today almost all polymers are sourced from oi/gas and are neither chemically recycled nor biodegradable. Existing polymer manufacturing plants are optimized for a single product and because of the very high capital expenditure required to build plants their lifetimes must be as long as possible. One drawback of existing processes designed for a single product is that they hinder innovation and slow the introduction of step-change products. In this proposal a new manufacturing process allows monomer mixtures to be selectively polymerized to selectively deliver completely new types of sustainable materials. The process requires just one reactor which is re-configured to dial-up multiple combinations of desirable products with controllable structures and compositions. This fellowship allows time for detailed investigation and development of the manufacturing concept as well as new research into product applications in three high-tech, high-value sectors, namely as recyclable and biodegradable thermoplastic elastomers, shape-memory plastics for robotics and delivery agents for biomolecule therapies. The research is underpinned by the efficient use of renewable resources, such as carbon dioxide and bio-derived monomers, and the polymers are designed for efficient end-of-life recycling and biodegradation. By applying existing commodity monomers, such as propene oxide and maleic anhydride, industrialization and translation of the results is accelerated. The fellowship allows the PI to learn new skills and build collaborations which will be realized through regular sabbaticals and secondments. It also allows the close industrial collaboration and oversight to re-configure polymer manufacturing to produce sustainable, high value materials to meet existing and future industrial needs.
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