Reprocessable Thermoset Soft Actuators

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Robotics

Background:

• Traditional thermosets offer excellent stability for 3D soft actuators but lack reprocessing capabilities.
• Reprocessing is crucial for sustainability and advanced functionalities in soft robotics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the reprocessing of liquid crystalline epoxy thermosets (LCETs) into 3D soft actuators.
• To investigate the stability and properties of reprocessed LCET-based actuators.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the time-temperature equivalence principle to induce transesterification in LCETs.
• Aligning LCETs through a simple procedure and testing their stability over 1000 actuation cycles.

Main Results:

• LCETs were successfully reprocessed into 3D soft actuators by extending transesterification time.
• The alignment of LCETs proved stable at high temperatures and after extensive heating-cooling cycles.
• Reprocessed actuators exhibited remouldable, reprogrammable, reconfigurable, weldable, self-healable, and recyclable properties.

Conclusions:

• The time-temperature equivalence principle enables reprocessing of LCETs, creating advanced 3D soft actuators.
• These novel actuators overcome the limitations of traditional thermosets, offering unprecedented versatility and sustainability.