The Use of Waste Methane Gas to Manufacture Bioplastics

A ‘green’ vinyl ester resin (GVER) is investigated for use in structural applications. The GVER was formulated using a monodisperse vinyl ester created via a novel synthetic route capable of using bio-waste material from paper and biodiesel industries. The GVER was used either as a neat resin or as blended with a commercial vinyl ester resin. The processing viscosity and gel times are investigated. The GVER reaches a similar viscosity as the commercial resin with only half the styrene monomer content, thereby reducing the volatile organic compounds associated with manufacturing. Composites of the GVER matrix reinforced by carbon fabric were tested for their tensile and flexural properties. The mechanical performance of the GVER compares favorably with commercial resin and provide a route for composites manufacturing from sustainably sourced vinyl ester matrix.