Self-healable fiber-reinforced vitrimer composites: overview and future prospects

RSC Adv. 2022 Nov 14;12(50):32569-32582. doi: 10.1039/d2ra05103f. eCollection 2022 Nov 9.

Abstract

To achieve sustainable development goals, approaches towards the preparation of recyclable and healable polymeric materials is highly attractive. Self-healing polymers and thermosets based on bond-exchangeable dynamic covalent bonds, so called "vitrimers" could be a great effort in this direction. In order to match the industrial importance, enhancement of mechanical strength without sacrificing the bond exchange capability is a challenging issue, however, such concerns can be overcome through the developments of fiber-reinforced vitrimer composites. This article covers the outstanding features of fiber-reinforced vitrimer composites, including their reprocessing, recycling and self-healing properties, together with practical applications and future perspectives of this unique class of materials.

Publication types

  • Review