Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2025
07:02
The Preparation and Properties of Thermo-reversibly Cross-linked Rubber Via Diels-Alder Chemistry
Published on: August 25, 2016
13.9K
Novel Crosslinking System for Poly-Chloroprene Rubber to Enable Recyclability and Introduce Self-Healing
Anureet Kaur1, Julien E Gautrot1, Gabriel Cavalli1
1School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK.
Polymers
|October 13, 2021
Summary
This study introduces a novel method for creating self-healing and recyclable polychloroprene rubber using dynamic disulfide bonds within a liquid polysulfide polymer crosslinker. The developed material demonstrates promising mechanical properties and efficient healing capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Rubber Technology
Background:
- Conventional cross-linking methods limit the self-healing capabilities of polymer networks.
- Introducing dynamic bonds within the cross-linker or polymer backbone is crucial for self-healing properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a self-healable and recyclable polychloroprene rubber using dynamic disulfide bonds.
- To investigate the effect of varying cross-linker concentrations on material properties and performance.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of dynamic disulfide bonds via a liquid polysulfide polymer (Thiokol LP-3) crosslinker using thermally initiated thiol-ene reaction.
- Characterization using isothermal differential scanning calorimetry, moving die rheometer analysis, tensile testing, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.
- Evaluation of mechanical strength, healing efficiency, and recycling efficiency across different Thiokol LP-3 concentrations (2, 4, 6 phr).
Main Results:
- Maximum ultimate tensile strength of 22.4 MPa and strain of 16.2% achieved with 2 phr Thiokol LP-3.
- Optimal healing efficiency of 13.4% obtained after 24h at 80°C with 6 phr Thiokol LP-3.
- Highest recycling efficiency of 11.2% demonstrated with 4 phr Thiokol LP-3.
Conclusions:
- The developed method successfully creates self-healable and recyclable polychloroprene rubber.
- Material properties are tunable by adjusting the concentration of the dynamic disulfide cross-linker.
- This approach offers a viable pathway for sustainable rubber materials with enhanced durability.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)
2.8K
Ring-opening metathesis polymerization or ROMP involves strained cycloalkenes as starting materials. The mechanism of ROMP proceeds by reacting cycloalkene with Grubbs catalyst to give metallacyclobutane intermediate which undergoes a ring-opening reaction to form new carbene. The new carbene reacts with another molecule of cycloalkene. Repetition of these steps leads to the formation of an unsaturated open-chain polymer product. All these steps are reversible, however, relieving the ring...
2.8K
01:13Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview
2.3K
Recently, the development of olefin metathesis polymerization advanced the field of polymer synthesis. Simply put, the reorganization of substituents on their double bonds between two olefins in the presence of a catalyst is known as the olefin metathesis reaction. The use of metathesis reaction for polymer synthesis is called olefin metathesis polymerization.
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists...
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists...
2.3K
02:35Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes
8.5K
The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
8.5K
01:20Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
2.2K
The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...
2.2K
01:14Polymer Classification: Architecture
3.3K
Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
3.3K
01:17Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
3.5K
Ziegler–Natta polymerization is another form of addition or chain‐growth polymerization used for synthesizing linear polymers over branched polymers. The catalyst used for polymerization is the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, named after Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, who developed it in 1953. This catalyst is an organometallic complex of titanium tetrachloride and triethyl aluminum, with the active form of the catalyst being an alkyl titanium compound. Using the Ziegler–Natta...
3.5K