Cleavable epoxy resins: Design for disassembly of a thermoset

A series of cycloaliphatic diepoxides with cleavable acetal links were synthesized and characterized. These materials were shown to undergo thermosetting reactions with cyclic anhydride in very similar fashion to a commercial cycloaliphatic epoxide, but cured samples were easily dissolved in a variety of acid-containing solvent mixtures. Such materials can extend the utility of thermosetting epoxies by preserving their positive attributes while eliminating their well known intractability after curing. The latter property is particularly a problem for manufacturers designing products for disassembly at end of use in order to facilitate recycling. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.