Self-healing polymers

A novel kind of room temperature self-healing poly(urethane-urea) with robust mechanical strength based on aromatic disulfide

An innovative poly(urethane-urea) elastomer, which exhibited excellent stretchability, thermal stability and autonomous self-healing abilities, was synthesized from the commercially available poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 2,4 / 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (80: 20, w / w) (TDI-80) and bis (2-aminophenyl) disulfide (DSDA). This aromatic disulfide containing poly(urethane-urea) (ss-PUs) achieved both rapid room temperature self-healing abilities and robust mechanical strength (the ultimate tensile strength was up to 4.20 ± 0.10 MPa and elongation at break was up to 954 ± 35.6%), through facile metathesis of the aromatic disulfides which embedded in hard segments. After the ss-PUs was cut into two-halves and reconnected, the mechanical properties could recover to ~ 90% of those of the original samples within 12 h at room temperature without extra self-healing agents or any change of environmental conditions.

Self-Healing Polyurethane-Based Nanocomposites Modified with Carbon Fibres and Carbon Nanotubes

Self-healing polyurethanes (PUs) were synthesized as a matrix of nanocomposites containing two fibrous carbon components, i.e., functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNF-OH) and short carbon fibers (CF). Two types of PUs differing in the content of flexible chain segments (40% and 50%) were used. Changes in mechanical strength were analyzed to assess the ability to self-healing of PU-based matrix nanocomposites with experimentally introduced damage in the form of an incision. The healing process was activated by heating the damaged samples at 60°C, for 30 minutes. The addition of CNT-OH and CF caused a slight reduction in the self-healing ability of the nanocomposites as compared to the neat PUs. After heating to 60°C, the nanocomposites self-healed up to 72% of the initial strength of the undamaged samples. The introduction of fibrous components to the polymer matrix improved the thermal conductivity of nanocomposites and facilitated heat transfer from the environment to the interior of the samples, necessary to initiate self-healing. Low content of carbon components in the PU matrix, i.e., 3 wt% of CF and 2 wt% of CNF-OH increased the total work up to fracture of samples after healing by about 53%.