Topic 4: Implementation of polymer materials

Ionic liquids as a “processing aid”

Leaders: Tatiana Budtova and Eric Leroy

In this scientific topic, ionic liquids will be seen as a processing aid, either for solubilising and implementing polymers such as polysaccharides, as new plastifiers or as compatibilisers for facilitating the dispersion of preformed charges of the lamellar silicate type. Once again, polymerists require ionic liquids with clearly characterised physico-chemical and thermodynamic properties in order to help them choose the most appropriate IL.

The scientific subjects covered in this fourth topic shall concern:

• ILs: A solvent for natural polymers (cellulosic materials, starch, polysaccharides, etc.)
• ILs: Appropriate physico-chemical properties for a first-rate solvent in terms of their polarity and acid-base nature
• Construction of polymer/IL phase diagrams
• Rheology of polymer/IL systems
• ILs: new plastifiers as substitutes for traditional plastifiers
• ILs: efficient interfacial agents for dispersing nanofillers in polymers and generating controlled dispersion states

Tableau 4. Research teams involved in topic #4.