S. Kašėtaitė “Biodegradable photocross-linked polymers and polymer composites of glycerol diglycidyl ether” doctoral thesis defence

Author, Institution: Sigita Kašėtaitė, Kaunas University of Technology

Science area, field of science: Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering 05T

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Jolita Ostrauskaitė (Kaunas University of Technology,
Technological sciences, Chemical Engineering 05T).

Dissertation Defence Board of Chemical Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Kęstutis Baltakys (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological sciences, Chemical Engineering, 05T) – chairman,
Prof. Dr. Saulutė Budrienė (Vilnius University, Physical Sciences, Chemistry, 03P),
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rima Klimavičiūtė (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological sciences, Chemical Engineering, 05T),
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sergei V. Kostjuk (Belarus National State University, Physical Sciences, Chemistry, 03P),
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramunė Rutkaitė (Kauno technologijos universitetas, technologijos mokslai, chemijos inžinerija – 05T).

The doctoral dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio St. 20, Kaunas).

Annotation:
Petroleum resources are extensively used for the production of plastics, which are typically stable in the environment for a long time and in many application fields this could be a disadvantage. This could be avoided by using bioplastics. Glycerol, as a by-product of biodiesel production, or glycerol derivatives can be used as starting materials for the preparation of biodegradable plastics. Photocross-linked polymers and polymer composites of glycerol diglycidyl ether were obtained under ultraviolet/visible light. The suitability of the composition of glycerol diglycidyl ether and 3′,4′-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3,4-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate for the formation of 3D structures by optical 3D printing was confirmed by photolithography, dynamic projection lithography, and 3D laser lithography experiments. After evaluating the mechanical properties, the photocross-linked polymer composites of glycerol diglycidyl ether and biobased industrial waste materials (rapeseed cake, phosphogypsum, and horn meal) could be used as potential mulching coatings.