As a general overview, the work performed, and the principal results achieved have been:
1. A robust process for manufacturing IBMC with a purity ranging from 90 to > 99 wt% has been developed. Different qualities of isosorbide can be used from high acidic isosorbide to neutral one.
2.An IBMC purification procedure has been developed to achieve IBMC purity ≥ 99% based on non-energetically intensive technologies as nanofiltration and lixiviation.
3.An optimal pilot process for IBMC production has been developed with a targeted cumulative production of ≥100-kg IBMC, moving the TRL of VIPRISCAR from 4 to 5.
4.At least 186-kg IBMC has been produced and harvested for long-term storage from a varying spectrum of pilot runs performed in the pilot reactor. The results obtained include the full protocol of IBMC production, the constituents of the harvested IBMC, as well as discussion on drying and storage considerations of the product. This result validates the achievement of the principal objective marked in the VIPRISCAR project.
5.The profitability of the process has been optimized achieving a recovery of unreacted DMC in this pilot process of 85% of the original reactant employed.
6.A full-scale industrial plant has been simulated that indicates the investment required for future cooperation with investors. (3 scenarios of IBMC consumption have been considered for a more precise evaluation).
7.IBMC-based hydroxyl-functional oligocarbonates from polycondensation reactions of IBMC with different diols, catalysts and solvents has been synthesized.
8.NIPUs have been synthesized by reaction of IBMC with diamines, in the presence of various catalysts and solvents and using different polymerization processes (bulk polymerization, interfacial polymerization and miniemulsion polymerization).
9.The polyols obtained present low molecular weights for their use in the application of adhesive formulation and in the production of catheter, but the products show promising characteristics and good quality to be used in coating applications.
10.VIPRISCAR has developed the conceptual design and basic engineering for the IBMC production process, including all mass and energy balances and basic equipment utilized. These technological results are complemented with the toxicological evaluation of IBMC. All the tests required by REACH regulation for the toxicological evaluation has been carried out concluding that IBMC did not produce any negative result.
11. An exploitation plan has been carried out considering three scenarios and the results have been disseminated and communicated in various congresses and scientific publications, as well as the production of a video. All this information is accessible through the project website
https://vipriscar.eu/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)
