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Multifunctional elastomers have gained tremendous attention in the material research community. In this study, an epoxy functionalized elastomer poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate) (EVA‐GMA) that is commercially available was modified with dynamic covalent chemistry to make it self‐healable and recyclable, as well as to investigate its adhesive properties. EVA‐GMA was modified to a furfuryl‐appended diene elastomer (FA‐EVA‐GMA) and subsequently cross‐linked with bifunctional 1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione (bis‐TAD) and bismaleimide (BMI) derivatives via electrophilic substitution (ES) and Diels‐Alder (DA) chemistry, respectively. The ES modification of the elastomer was ambiently completed using bis‐TAD, whereas its maleimide modification required elevated conditions (65 °C) with a longer time of 24 h. The tensile study showed a remarkable improvement in the mechanical strength upon cross‐linking the elastomers. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis elucidated the thermoreversible characteristics of both the ES and DA‐derived networks, showing the cleavage of ES and DA conjugates at 135 °C (retro‐ES) and 140 °C (retro‐DA), respectively. The cross‐linked elastomers exhibited significant self‐healing characteristics (with a healing efficiency of ≈ 88%) and monitored using an optical microscope and tensile analysis. Interestingly, the bis‐TAD‐derived and bismaleimide functionalized EVA‐elastomer showed excellent adhesive properties toward the metal surfaces, as analyzed via lap shear test.

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are biphasic blends of soft amorphous matrix and hard crystalline/glassy domains in which the soft matrix is physically integrated with the help of the hard phase. They possess the physical properties of thermoset rubbers, such as flexibility, softness, and resilience, but they can be processed by plastic processing techniques unlike rubbers. They can be recycled since no external cross‐linking agents are required during processing. This article delineates different synthetic methods (existing as well as the newer methods), structure–property relationship, morphology, environmental issues, health aspects, and applications of various classes of thermoplastic elastomers. Some of the new‐generation thermoplastic elastomers such as acrylate, self‐healing, silicone‐based, fluorinated, ionic, and bio‐based TPEs have been explored in industrial applications due to their attractive properties such as high performance, lower as well as upper service temperature, and high‐temperature resistance. The circular economy and sustainability aspects of the TPEs are also discussed.