Work

Glass transition temperature as a unified parameter to design self-healable elastomers

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Self-healing ability of materials, particularly polymers, improves their functional stabilities and lifespan. To date, the designs for self-healable polymers have relied on specific intermolecular interactions or chemistries. We report a design methodology for self-healable polymers based on glass transition. Statistical copolymer series of two monomers with different glass transition temperatures ( T g ) were synthesized, and their self-healing tendency depends on the T g of the copolymers and the constituents. Self-healing occurs more efficiently when the difference in T g between two monomer units is larger, within a narrow T g range of the copolymers, irrespective of their functional groups. The self-healable copolymers are elastomeric and nonpolar. The strategy to graft glass transition onto self-healing would expand the scope of polymer design.

Source: Science Advances

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp0729

Authors: Jae-Man Park, Chang Seo Park, Sang Kyu Kwak, Jeong-Yun Sun

Institutions: Seoul National University, Korea University

Language: English

Topic: Polymer composites and self-healing

Subfield: Polymers and Plastics

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,500

Funders: National Research Foundation, National Research Foundation of Korea, LG Display