Recycled, renewable and reprocessable insulation foams

Efficient insulating foams are crucial as building materials as they reduce the energy consumption for heating, but currently polymeric foams are predominantly made from fossil-based resources with linear waste streams making them unsustainable. In order to deal with these challenges, the goal with this project is to develop recyclable polymeric insulating foams that stem from waste streams and renewable resources. To obtain materials with the desired properties, dynamic covalent bonds will be incorporated into the structures to form foamed covalent adaptable networks (CANs). These types of materials will allow e.g. better mechanical strength and thermal stability, while still enabling reprocessability and closed-loop recyclability. The work will include functionalization of polymers like plastic waste (in upcycling) and biopolymers, chemical recycling of plastics and combining with biobased building blocks, CAN design and synthesis, and exploring green foaming processes. The principles of green chemistry will be followed in all steps to make the materials more sustainable and environmentally friendly, contributing towards circular, energy-saving materials.