Molecular Reconstruction for the High-Performance Recycled Fluororubbers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Difficult recycling and poor performance of fluorinated specialty materials hinder sustainability.
• Waste fluororubber presents significant disposal and resource loss challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a molecular reconstruction strategy for upcycling waste fluororubber.
• To create high-performance, chemically awakenable amino-terminated low-molecular-weight fluoropolymer (ATLF-Boc).

Main Methods:

• Utilized oxidative degradation and fluorination addition for molecular reconstruction.
• Employed end-group transformation to synthesize ATLF-Boc from waste fluororubber.
• Controlled molecular weight and end-group content via carboxyl-terminated low-molecular-weight fluoropolymer (CTLF) intermediates.

Main Results:

• Synthesized ATLF-Boc with high fluorine content (66.95%) and excellent thermal stability (T10% = 359 °C).
• Achieved tunable surface hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity (43°–114°) and high tensile strength (13.3 MPa) in cured ATLF.
• Demonstrated successful upcycling of waste fluororubber into functional materials.

Conclusions:

• The molecular reconstruction strategy effectively upcycles waste fluororubber into high-performance fluoropolymers.
• The synthesized ATLF-Boc offers a viable solution for sustainable fluorinated material fabrication.
• This approach holds significant promise for advancing the field of fluorinated specialty materials.