Events
Upcycling and Depolymerization of PVC and Polyurethanes by Prof. Jason E. Bara, University of Alabama
Description:
Webinar
Upcycling and Depolymerization of PVC and Polyurethanes
Prof. Jason E. Bara
Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering
University of Alabama
Wednesday, April 23, Webinar at 6:00 PM Pacific time
Abstract
This talk will highlight research from Jason Bara’s group in two ubiquitous, yet particularly challenging materials: poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and polyurethanes (PU). PVC is the third-most produced plastic worldwide, but it is also very different than other commodity polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). PVC offers unique opportunities in terms of reactivity, and solubility properties which enable it to be fractionated using green solvents. Under appropriate conditions, these behaviors enable waste PVC to be processed and reused in a variety of applications, including in the development of new types of 3D printing resins. Bara’s group is also working on a new process dubbed “imidazolysis” which can break down crosslinked PU materials via thermochemical processing with recovery of polyols and small molecules. In early 2025, the imidazolysis work received national media attention (e.g. https://www.yahoo.com/tech/research-team-stunned-unexpectedly-discovering-103031755.html).
Speaker Background
Prof. Jason Bara received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. He has authored more than 170 peer-reviewed research publications on the topics of separations, ionic liquids and green solvents, polymer membranes, and materials science. He has also been awarded 16 U.S. patents for new technologies developed in these areas. In recognition of his research, he received the Permeance Prize for Mid-Career Excellence from the North American Membrane Society (NAMS) (2024), Early Career Fellow from the Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Division of ACS (2021), the Membranes (MDPI) Young Investigator Award (2020) and the FRI/John G. Kunesh Award from the Separations Division of AIChE (2015). Jason has also been recognized for his contributions to chemical engineering education as the 2018 recipient of the Ray W. Fahien Award from ASEE and the 2017 recipient of the David Himmelblau Award for Innovations in Computer-Based Chemical Engineering Education Award from AIChE.
Recent publications from Jason’s group in these areas include:
Alshaikh, A.; Bara, J. E. Chlorinated Plastics Offer Unique Opportunities for Molecular Design of Upcycling Products. Polym. Int. 2024, 73, 341-348. doi:10.1002/pi.6621
Bepari, M. R.; Sullivan, L. R.; O’Harra, K. E.; Barbosa, G. D.; Turner, C. H; Bara, J. E. Depolymerization of PET via “Imidazolysis” – A New Strategy to Obtain a Diverse Array of Intermediates from Plastic Waste. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2024, 6, 7886-7896. doi:10.1021/acsapm.4c01525
Alshaikh, A. A.; Choi, J.; Olowookere, F. V.; Lubic, O.; Shinde, P. S.; Turner. C. H.; Bara, J. E. Tuning Solvent Strength Can Fractionate PVC into Ultra-Low Molecular Weight Distributions with Low Dispersities. RSC Appl. Polym. 2025, Ahead of Print. doi:10.1039/D4LP00313F
DATE: Wednesday, April 23
Registration deadline: Tuesday, April 22, 1:00 PM.
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Webinar Timing: 6:00 PM.
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