Grant: Idea to Innovation

Polydicyclopentadiene (PDCPD) is a tough, heavily crosslinked thermoset polymer that is produced via ring-opening cross-metathesis polymerization (ROMP) from an earth-abundant feedstock isolated in large quantities (~400 million pounds annually) by the petrochemical industry. The extensive network of crosslinks gives PDCPD a very high impact resistance, good resistance to chemical corrosion, and a high heat deflection temperature. These properties make PDCPD very valuable for making automotive body panels used on heavy-duty vehicles. Unfortunately, several material limitations - each of which relates to polydicyclopentadiene's lack of chemical functionality - have precluded a deeper market penetration.Our team at the University of Victoria recently achieved the creation of the first functionalized polydicyclopentadiene (fPDCPD) that does not give up the robust thermal stability that makes PDCPD so useful. This innovative, ester-functionalized material addresses many of the current limitations that beset traditional PDCPD while also suggesting novel applications in new markets (particularly household consumables and the domestic automotive industry). We are now seeking Idea-to-Innovation funds to support the translation of our novel functionalized polymer to a commercial setting. Because it efficiently solves so many of the limitations associated with unfunctionalized PDCPD, and because we have already shown that the material properties can be tuned by subtle alterations to the embedded functional group (thus allowing our polymer to be custom-tuned for individual applications) we estimate that commercialization will - at a minimum - triple the worldwide PDCPD market.