Green Plasticizers
Our group has been working in a multi-disciplinary team (CIHR Team Grant – Green Plasticizers) that is developing green plasticizers as alternatives to phthalates, which have been banned from use in many applications. Plasticizers are additives used in polymer formulations to improve processing and mechanical properties. Once the finished article is disposed of in the environment, the plasticizer can leach out and transform into potentially harmful metabolites. We are involved in processing and mechanical property testing of plasticizer/resin blends where the plasticizer structure is engineered to allow them to degrade into harmless metabolites while still serving as a cost-effective mechanical property enhancer in plastic formulations.