Healable and Reprocessable PETG-Based Dynamic Vinylogous Urethane Networks.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Growing demand for sustainable materials necessitates extending polymer lifecycles.
• Conventional polymers often lack reprocessability and self-healing properties, leading to waste.
• Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) is a widely used high-performance polyester.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel healable and reprocessable polymer networks from PETG.
• To investigate the synthesis and properties of vinylogous urethane (VU) networks.
• To enhance the sustainability and lifetime of commercial polyesters.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized VU networks via Zn-catalyzed transesterification of PETG with ethylene glycol.
• End-functionalized telechelics with bis-acetoacetate.
• Formed VU networks using tris-(2-aminoethyl)-amine (TREN).

Main Results:

• Achieved high tensile strength (up to 48 MPa), stiffness (0.9 GPa), and ductility (7% elongation at break).
• Demonstrated efficient reprocessing with minimal performance loss over multiple cycles.
• Exhibited rapid and effective healing, recovering 95% of original strength in 15 minutes at 180 °C.

Conclusions:

• Successfully transformed PETG into a reprocessable and healable material.
• The developed VU networks offer a sustainable alternative with extended material lifetime.
• Presents a scalable method for creating advanced functional polyesters.