Biobased thermosetting networks that can self-heal harnessing transesterification reactions

ALTUNA F.I.; PUIG, J.; HOPPE, C.E.; PETTARIN, V.; WILLIAMS, R.J.J.

Berlín

Conferencia; 12th International Conference Polymers for Advanced Technologies; 2013

The extended use of thermosetting polymers and the subsequent need to improve its durability have led to the development of tougher materials that can have a longer service life. Traditional means to achieve such improvement involve the modification of the base formulation, leading to phase-separated structures, or the use of fibers or particles as reinforcement to obtain composite materials. On the other hand, a novel method that have been under investigation since a few decades ago and gained attention recently, proposes the use of self-healing polymers. The idea is that when a crack initiates, the polymer itself, with or without external stimuli, repairs the crack preventing its growth.