01 Jun From Sustainable Chemistries to Circular Materials: SPECIFIC POLYMERS’ Environmental Approach
AUTHORS
DATE
June 2026
Environmental transition in the polymer industry cannot rely on a single solution. It requires a combination of safer chemistries, renewable raw materials, improved durability, end-of-life strategies and scalable innovation pathways. At SPECIFIC POLYMERS, this approach is addressed through the design, development and production of functional monomers, building blocks, polymers and high-performance materials for R&D and industrial innovation.
Through its environmental activities, SPECIFIC POLYMERS supports the development of more sustainable material systems by focusing on the following directions:
- Biobased and bisphenol-free epoxy alternatives,
- End-of-life of thermoset – Vitrimer (Covalent Adaptable Network) strategies
- Non-isocyanate polyurethane technologies.
These axes reflect a common objective: helping researchers and industrial partners explore more sustainable material solutions while maintaining performance requirements.
Biobased and bisphenol-free epoxy resins: moving beyond conventional DGEBA systems
Epoxy resins remain essential materials for coatings, adhesives, composites, electronics and high-performance thermosets. However, the transition toward safer and more sustainable systems is driving the development of alternatives to conventional DGEBA-based platforms. SPECIFIC POLYMERS has developed a portfolio of bisphenol-free and biobased epoxy building blocks designed for R&D evaluation, proof-of-concept validation and formulation screening. Within this portfolio, several bisphenol-free and biobased epoxy references are available to support R&D evaluation and formulation development.
DGEVA-based epoxy resins
DGEVA is available in different grades, including standard DGEVA, DGEVA_B4 with approximately 40% biocarbon content, and DGEVA_B with 100% biocarbon content. These vanillin-derived epoxy resins provide researchers with a versatile platform to explore alternative thermoset formulations.
This epoxy precursor stands out for its relatively low viscosity, enabling excellent processability while delivering glass transition temperatures (Tg) ranging from 95 °C to 110 °C when cured with cycloaliphatic and/or aromatic amine hardeners, respectively.
PHTE-based epoxy resins
PHTE is a trifunctional aromatic bisphenol-free epoxy resin. It is also available as PHTE_B6, a biobased grade with approximately 60% biocarbon content. Thanks to its high functionality, PHTE is well suited for the development of highly crosslinked epoxy networks and high-performance thermoset formulations.
This epoxy precursor allows increasing the viscosity of epoxy resin formulation. Moreover, thanks to its high functionality, PHTE is well suited for the development of highly crosslinked epoxy networks leading to glass transition temperatures (Tg) ranging from 250 °C to 225 °C when cured with cycloaliphatic and/or aromatic amine hardeners, respectively.
PHTE Promotion | 50% Discount
SPECIFIC POLYMERS is currently offering a 50% discount on PHTE for orders of 250 g or more, while stock lasts. This cost-effective opportunity allows to start to evaluate this epoxy building-block trials and gather first set of data before moving toward the biobased grade, PHTE BIO 6.
Toward higher maturity: RTGE scale-up and biobased version under development
In parallel, SPECIFIC POLYMERS is working on the pilot-scale development of Resveratrol Triglycidyl Ether (RTGE), another bisphenol-free aromatic epoxy resin. This scale-up work aims to support larger R&D trials and facilitate the evaluation of RTGE-based epoxy systems under more representative application conditions.
This epoxy precursor also exhibits high viscosity and leads to cure materials with glass transition temperatures (Tg) ranging from 200°C to 250°C when cured with cycloaliphatic and/or aromatic amine hardeners, respectively.
A biobased version of RTGE is also under development, reinforcing SPECIFIC POLYMERS’ objective to combine high-performance epoxy chemistry with improved environmental positioning.
Vitrimers and Covalent Adaptable Networks: designing thermosets with end-of-life in mind
Thermoset materials are valued for their dimensional stability, chemical resistance and mechanical performance. However, their permanent crosslinked structure usually limits repair, reshaping, reprocessing and recycling. To address this issue, SPECIFIC POLYMERS develops dynamic building blocks and reversible resin systems based on vitrimer and Covalent Adaptable Network chemistry.
This strategy consists in introducing reversible or exchangeable bonds into polymer networks. Depending on the chemistry selected, these dynamic bonds can enable improved repairability, reprocessability or debonding behavior while preserving the advantages of thermoset materials during use.
SPECIFIC POLYMERS’ approach covers several dynamic chemistries, including:
- Disulfide exchange, for dynamic covalent networks and epoxy vitrimer systems.
- Transesterification, for reprocessable thermoset networks.
- Transamination, for alternative exchange mechanisms.
- Diels-Alder chemistry, for thermally reversible systems and debonding-on-demand concepts.
This strategy relies on the selection of suitable dynamic building blocks, depending on the targeted network architecture and exchange mechanism. For epoxy-based vitrimer systems, Cystamine (SP-2-4-001) can for instance be used to introduce disulfide dynamic moieties into the crosslinked network. Its improved production process now allows SPECIFIC POLYMERS to offer 250 g batches of this dynamic hardener, enabling larger R&D trials.
Another relevant epoxy-oriented building block is Bis(4-glycidoxyphenyl) disulfide (SP-3-65-004), which combines epoxy functionality with dynamic disulfide bonds. This structure makes it suitable for the design of reprocessable, repairable or recyclable epoxy vitrimer materials.
Complementary reversible systems can also be explored with SP-43-6-001, SP-43-6-002, SP-1P-9-013 and SP-1P-9-015, opening additional routes toward the intoduction of sulfur-based dynamic bonds into other kind of thermoset networks.
Reversible adhesive formulations: from material design to application cases
Beyond individual building blocks, SPECIFIC POLYMERS also develops formulated reversible adhesive systems. These materials are designed to combine durable bonding during use with controlled debonding at end of life, supporting repair, disassembly and material recovery strategies.
A key example is SP-3607_V1, a partially biobased two-component reversible thermoset adhesive. It has been presented as an off-the-shelf formulation designed for reliable adhesion across different substrates and temperatures, with thermal debonding above 110°C using standard heating tools. Public communication reports adhesion up to 70°C, low viscosity around 150 cP, broad substrate compatibility and available batches of 50 g, 100 g and 250 g.
This adhesive approach was also explored within the European BIO-UPTAKE project, which focused on the development of biobased composites and more circular manufacturing strategies. In this context, SPECIFIC POLYMERS worked on debonding adhesive formulations and on the scale-up of associated raw materials. These developments were presented during a BIO-UPTAKE webinar, where Camille discussed the development of a reversible adhesive for a reprocessed container lid. Her presentation showed how such solutions can improve the circularity and recyclability of assemblies while meeting industrial performance requirements.
Together, this work illustrates how dynamic polymer chemistry can support practical application cases, from adhesive bonding and controlled debonding to repair, disassembly and material recovery.
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