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Reprogrammable Permanent Shape Memory Materials Based on Reversibly Crosslinked Epoxy/PCL Blends.
Iker Razquin1, Alvaro Iregui1, Lidia Orduna1
1POLYMAT, Department of Polymer Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV-EHU, PO Box 1072, 20080 Donostia/San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 3, 2020
Summary
New epoxy/Polycaprolactone (PCL) blends exhibit shape memory effects and recyclability. Incorporating disulfide crosslinks enables reprogramming of permanent shapes, creating advanced, reusable materials.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Epoxy resins are widely used thermosets, but their inherent brittleness and lack of recyclability limit their applications.
- Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polyester known for its flexibility and shape memory properties.
- Developing advanced materials with enhanced mechanical properties, shape memory capabilities, and recyclability is a key challenge in polymer science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel epoxy/Polycaprolactone (PCL) blends.
- To investigate the effect of a disulfide-containing diamine (4,4´-dithioaniline, DSS) on the curing, mechanical, and shape memory properties of epoxy/PCL blends.
- To explore the potential for creating reprogrammable shape memory materials through disulfide exchange reactions.
Main Methods:
- Melt blending of epoxy resins with Polycaprolactone (PCL).
- Curing of blends using conventional diamine (4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane, DDM) and disulfide diamine (4,4´-dithioaniline, DSS).
- Characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).
Main Results:
- All epoxy/PCL blends achieved a high degree of curing and exhibited temperature-activated shape memory effects.
- Polycaprolactone (PCL) acted as a plasticizer, allowing for tunable glass transition temperatures of the epoxy matrix.
- Blends cured with DSS demonstrated shape erasing and reprogramming capabilities due to disulfide exchange reactions.
Conclusions:
- Epoxy/PCL blends offer tunable properties and temperature-activated shape memory effects.
- The incorporation of disulfide crosslinks enables the creation of reprogrammable permanent shape memory materials.
- These novel materials show promise for applications requiring recyclability and adaptable shape functionalities.
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