Self-healing of thermoplastic polymer by living polymerization

Self-healing of thermoplastic polymer by living polymerization

Zhang, M.Q.
Rong, M.Z.

2013-06-16

Autonomic self-healing thermosetting polymers or elastomers have been substantially studied, in which polymerization of the healing agents released from pre-embedded capsules serves as the key issue. As for thermoplastics, another major class of polymeric materials, however, researches on their self-healing approaches are less reported. Here in this work we show the feasibility of a healing chemistry based on living polymerization (that excludes the possibility of chain transfer and termination) for thermoplastics. Monomer-loaded microcapsules are dispersed in a living polymer matrix that contains living chain ends. When the fluidic monomer is released upon cracking, it is easily polymerized at room temperature wherever it meets the matrix. Then, the newly formed macromolecules, which are covalently attached to the interface, fill the interstitial space of cracks and fuse with the matrix into one, offering satisfied healing efficiency. No catalyst is required for resuming chain growth in the system. The repair processes are carried out without the necessity for manual intervention. Details of the microcapsules preparation, matrix synthesis and types of controlled radical polymerization (atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), and reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)) are discussed. It is hoped that the results would serve as solid basis for the development of self-healing thermoplastic polymers.

thermoplastics
self-healing
living polymerization
microcapsules

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:aa8f9d99-afc6-4225-b7c4-cffeb8fc9687

Conference proceedings

conference paper

(c) 2013 Zhang, M.Q.; Rong, M.Z.