The durability and strength of thermoset plastics gives them wide applications in multiple industries ranging from automotive to healthcare. However, these Crosslinked thermoset structures and their robustness create barriers to recycling that result in major material waste with no suitable recycling methods. recycle, leading to significant waste and a lack of viable recycling options. A research team from Cornell University succeeded in creating an alternative material which combines the durable qualities of thermosets with recyclable features and environmental degrading capability. See their research here:
Dreiling, R. J., Huynh, K., & Fors, B. P. (2025). Degradable thermosets via orthogonal polymerizations of a single monomer. Nature, 638(8049), 120–125. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08386-w
Currently, thermosets account for 15% to 20% of all polymers produced, yet none are recycled. Once they reach the end of their life cycle, these materials are either thermally decomposed or sent to landfills. Recognising this challenge, researchers led by Brett Fors, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell, have introduced a potential solution: a bio-based, recyclable alternative built from dihydrofuran (DHF).
“Currently, zero percent of the world’s thermoset materials are recycled – they’re either incinerated or thrown in landfills,”
said Brett Fors, professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell.
The research team’s approach centres around DHF, a monomer that can be sourced from biological materials. This compound serves as the foundation for a new wave of thermosets that are chemically recyclable and environmentally degradable. Unlike traditional thermosets, DHF-based materials can be broken down into their original monomer form through a heat-driven process, enabling reuse and reducing long-term waste.
DHF thermosets demonstrate mechanical properties similar to conventional thermoset materials such as high-density polyurethane and ethylene propylene rubber. These properties make them suitable for applications in industries including electronics, automotive components, and 3D printing. Moreover, when discarded, DHF-based materials degrade naturally into benign components, reducing their ecological impact.
“The whole process, from creating to reusing, is more environmentally friendly than current materials,”
said Reagan Dreiling, a doctoral student in the field of chemistry and first author of the paper.
Dreiling used DHF, a circular monomer with a double bond, as a building block for two successive polymerisations. The second Polymerisation results in a crosslinked polymer that can be recycled through heating and will degrade naturally in the environment.
The Fors group is now exploring ways to expand the functionality of DHF-based materials by incorporating additional monomers to tailor properties for specific industrial applications. The team is also investigating how the material could be adapted for scalable manufacturing, ensuring it can compete with petroleum-derived polymers in both performance and cost.
Fors stated:
“We’ve spent 100 years trying to make polymers that last forever, and we’ve realised that’s not actually a good thing,” “Now we’re making polymers that don’t last forever, that can environmentally degrade.”
