Thermoset polymers are employed as matrices for fiber-reinforced composite materials due to their outstanding thermo-mechanical and chemical properties. However, the irreversible nature of their covalently crosslinked network makes conventional recycling methods unsuitable for their efficient and economically competitive reprocessing. Moreover, the most common thermoset systems typically rely on depletable and often hazardous fossil-based sources. Vitrimers have been introduced in recent years to offer potential advantages over traditional thermosets, as they can mitigate some of these issues thanks to their three-dimensional covalent network, able to undergo temperature-activated dynamic bond-exchange reactions leading to topological rearrangement. As the environmental concerns about the end-of-life of materials are paired with the need to replace fossil-based resources, research is moving towards the formulation of vitrimeric composites obtained from biobased constituents. This work employed an algae-derived epoxy resin (phloroglucinol triglycidyl ether) with glutaric anhydride to develop an easy-reprocessable, catalyst-free vitrimer for the production of glass fiber-reinforced composites. The vitrimeric behavior of these systems was assessed via rheological stress relaxation, which was found to be fast at moderately high temperatures (3 min at 200 °C, 100 min at 120 °C) and could be repeated multiple times due to the high chemical reversibility of the network. The resin was then employed as matrix for a thermoformable and weldable glass fiber-reinforced laminate with excellent adhesion strength (54 MPa) and easy chemical recyclability in mild conditions (150 °C, ambient pressure). Finally, the enhanced circularity of the produced composite was compared to a standard thermoset counterpart employing the Material Circularity Indicator.
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