A biomass approach to mendable bio-elastomers

Soft Matter. 2017 Feb 8;13(6):1306-1313. doi: 10.1039/c6sm02003h.

Abstract

Sustainable bioelastomers with high elastic recovery, high resilience and mendability are conceptualized with low chain-entanglement polymers that are predominantly originated from renewable biomass. Polymers with plant oil-derived fatty groups at the side chain were installed with furan, which allowed Diels-Alder addition to introduce dynamic covalent crosslinking. These elastomers are mendable via retro Diels-Alder. Reprocessing of these polymers led to the formation of elastomers with preservation of excellent resilience and elastic recovery.