The two researchers developed in 2015 a new type of epoxy thermosetting plastics without bisphenols. “Thermosets are a part of our lives, whether in the electronic components of computers or the composite materials of aeronautics. Their chemistry was developed in the middle of the 20th century, when environmental considerations counted little or not, explains Jérôme Claverie. The majority of epoxy thermosets come from petroleum products such as bisphenols and epichlorohydrin – an excessively toxic compound. By degrading, epoxies can release bisphenol. ”

The new thermosets developed by the two researchers do not contain toxic compounds in their manufacture and contain up to 60% of compounds from renewable organic substances. “Their properties are exceptional,” says Jérôme Claverie. Usually, conventional epoxies become soft at a temperature of 220 degrees Celsius or less. Ours keep their hardness up to 350 degrees Celsius. Unlike traditional epoxies, our thermosets can be prepared in the form of microfibers potentially useful for the manufacture of high performance textiles. They can also be used in the form of conductive composites which are used in many electronic applications. ”