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Related Concept Videos

Plasticizers01:31

Plasticizers

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Water-reducers, or plasticizers, are chemical admixtures used in concrete to improve strength and workability. These additives reduce the water-cement ratio without compromising workability, lower the cement content while maintaining the same workability, or increase workability to assist concrete placement in inaccessible areas.
Plasticizers function by using surface-active agents to create repulsive electrostatic forces between cement particles. This dispersion enhances the concrete's...
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Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters01:20

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The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
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Superplasticizers are advanced admixtures that enhance the workability of concrete by lowering the water content without compromising the strength of the material. These substances are highly effective water reducers, improving concrete flow, making it easier to work with, and enabling concrete to reach inaccessible areas or densely reinforced sections without mechanical vibration. The key components in superplasticizers are either sulfonated melamine or naphthalene formaldehyde condensates,...
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Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

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Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
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Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

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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...
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Retarders01:19

Retarders

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Retarders are chemical admixtures designed to extend the setting time, which is especially useful when there is a delay in sequential concrete pours to prevent cold joints and to achieve a cohesive structure. Retarders, when used in appropriate amounts, can also enhance the architectural appearance of exposed aggregate finishes.
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Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
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Cleavable Additives for Deconstructable, Recyclable Polyurethane Thermosets.

Kwangwook Ko1, David J Lundberg2, Valerie L Lensch1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.

ACS Central Science
|September 2, 2025
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chemically deconstructible polyurethane thermosets are achieved using cleavable additives (CAs). This study introduces a theory and demonstrates low-loading CAs for selective dissolution and repolymerization, enhancing polyurethane circularity.

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The Preparation and Properties of Thermo-reversibly Cross-linked Rubber Via Diels-Alder Chemistry
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Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

  • Polyurethane (PU) thermosets are difficult to chemically recycle due to permanent cross-linking.
  • Existing methods for PU deconstruction are often impractical, requiring complete precursor substitution.
  • Cleavable additives (CAs) offer a promising, cost-effective alternative but haven't been explored in end-linked systems like PUs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a generalizable theory for predicting minimum CA loading for end-linked network deconstruction.
  • To experimentally validate the use of silyl ether-based CAs (BCSs and TCJs) in PU thermosets.
  • To demonstrate the potential for PU circularity through additive-enabled deconstruction and repolymerization.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a reverse gel-point theory to guide CA loading.
  • Incorporation of bifunctional cleavable strands (BCSs) and trifunctional cleavable junctions (TCJs) into PU networks.
  • Experimental validation of selective dissolution, material property tuning, and chemical repolymerization.

Main Results:

  • A predictive theory for minimum CA loading was established.
  • Low loadings (5-12 wt%) of BCSs and TCJs enabled selective PU dissolution.
  • TCJs showed higher deconstruction efficiency, and combined additives allowed property tuning.
  • Repolymerization of deconstructed PU fragments regenerated materials with retained mechanical performance over multiple cycles.

Conclusions:

  • Cleavable additives are a viable strategy for enhancing the circularity of polyurethane thermosets.
  • The developed theoretical framework provides a foundation for applying CAs to various end-linked polymer networks.
  • This approach offers a practical route to recyclable polyurethane materials.