Premium
A perspective on emerging polymer technologies for bisphenol‐A replacement
Author(s) -
Nelson Ashley M,
Long Timothy E
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/pi.4323
Subject(s) - bisphenol a , polymer , polyester , materials science , monomer , biochemical engineering , isosorbide , polymer science , xenoestrogen , nanotechnology , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , estrogen receptor , engineering , medicine , cancer , breast cancer , epoxy
Abstract Recent attention surrounds bisphenol‐A (BPA) due to potential estrogen mimicry and human health hazards. The public's negative reactions to these concerns threaten the commercial use of BPA requiring the global polymer community to investigate suitable replacements for commercial products that demand very good thermal and mechanical properties from BPA. This review highlights four classes of polymers that often utilize BPA for enhancing specific properties: polycarbonates, polyesters, epoxies and polyimides. A compilation of recent efforts involving the design of BPA‐free polymers is provided. Alternative monomers include 2,2,4,4‐tetramethyl‐1,3‐cyclobutanediol and isosorbide, and emerging polymers that exhibit acceptable thermal and mechanical properties are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry