Issue 22, 2020

Enhanced thermomechanical property of a self-healing polymer via self-assembly of a reversibly cross-linkable block copolymer

Abstract

We report the preparation and thermomechanical properties of hetero-nanostructured self-healing polymers (HSPs) bearing a hindered urea bond (HUB) by varying the content of a self-healable block copolymer (BCP). The micellar morphology of the BCP blend in a matrix polymer was studied using transmission electron microscopy and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering with various organic solvent types and BCP contents. The self-healing efficiency of the HSPs was obtained from single-scratch tests through optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy. To confirm self-healing at the molecular level, the mechanical properties of the cross-cut and healed HSPs were also analyzed using a universal testing machine. Thermomechanical properties associated with HUB were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis and temperature-oscillating rheometry. The results showed that blending the BCP improved the toughness, the hardness, and the modulus up to 21.7, 25.3, and 24.8%, respectively. Moreover, at high temperatures, the temperature range of the rubbery plateau was greatly widened without a noticeable decrease in the self-healing capability.

Graphical abstract: Enhanced thermomechanical property of a self-healing polymer via self-assembly of a reversibly cross-linkable block copolymer

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Feb 2020
Accepted
13 Apr 2020
First published
14 Apr 2020

Polym. Chem., 2020,11, 3701-3708

Enhanced thermomechanical property of a self-healing polymer via self-assembly of a reversibly cross-linkable block copolymer

H. M. Lee, S. Perumal, G. Y. Kim, J. C. Kim, Y. Kim, M. P. Kim, H. Ko, Y. Rho and I. W. Cheong, Polym. Chem., 2020, 11, 3701 DOI: 10.1039/D0PY00310G

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