PhD candidate
Project:听Degradation and durability of carbon fiber-reinforced vitrimer composites
听听tony.baltoiu [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Mail)
Supervisor: Prof Pascal Hubert
听
Carbon fiber-reinforced composite waste is an increasingly pressing issue. Regarding thermoset composites, the main existing factor inhibiting effective recycling is that cross-links between polymer chains are permanent and resins are unable to be chemically dissolved or flow at high temperatures. Vitrimers are a novel material class sharing properties with both thermoplastics and thermosets, and have been developed in fiber-reinforced composite systems with the purpose of enhancing reprocessability to address sustainability concerns. However, current challenges with the commercial viability of vitrimer composites relate to the need for further research in understanding their fundamental material properties and behaviour, especially in critical conditions relevant to the aerospace industry. Therefore, characterizing their durability is a necessary step in bridging the gap to feasible industrial applications of vitrimer composites. The objective of my research is to investigate the susceptibility of carbon fiber-reinforced vitrimer composites to property degradation under thermomechanical and environmental conditions.