Upcycling of dynamic thiourea thermoset polymers by intrinsic chemical strengthening

Haijun Feng, Ning Zheng (), Wenjun Peng, Chujun Ni, Huijie Song, Qian Zhao and Tao Xie
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Haijun Feng: Zhejiang University
Ning Zheng: Zhejiang University
Wenjun Peng: Zhejiang University
Chujun Ni: Zhejiang University
Huijie Song: Zhejiang University
Qian Zhao: Zhejiang University
Tao Xie: Zhejiang University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Thermoset polymers are indispensable but their environmental impact has been an ever-increasing concern given their typical intractability. Although concepts enabling their reprocessing have been demonstrated, their practical potential is limited by the deteriorated performance of the reprocessed materials. Here, we report a thiourea based thermoset elastomer that can be reprocessed with enhanced mechanical properties. We reveal that the thiourea bonds are dynamic which leads to the reprocessibility. More importantly, they can undergo selective oxidation during high temperature reprocessing, resulting in significant chemical strengthening within certain reprocessing cycles. This is opposite to most polymers for which reprocessing typically results in material deterioration. The possibility of having materials with inherent reprocessing induced performance enhancement points to a promising direction towards polymer recycling.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28085-2

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