Self-Healing and Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Eugenol-Based Phenoxy Resin Blends via Exchange Reactions

Abstract

The possibility of exchange reactions and thermal self-healing in blends of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and phenoxy resin was investigated herein. The analyses were based on characterization obtained via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile test. A new phenoxy resin was synthesized from eugenol, and blends with different types of TPU were prepared to investigate the exchange reaction, thermal self-healing, and mechanical properties. The influence of phenoxy resin content on the mechanical behavior and healing efficiency was studied. Improvement of storage modulus owing to the increase of phenoxy resin content was observed. Results suggest that the exchange reaction between phenoxy- and ester-type TPU occurred during thermal treatment. However, little exchange occurred between phenoxy resin and ether-type TPU. Specifically, only ester-type TPU exhibited a significant exchange reaction in the phenoxy resin blend. Furthermore, in the presence of a catalyst (e.g., zinc acetate), the exchange reaction readily occurred, and the healing efficiency improved by the addition of the catalyst and increase in the phenoxy content.

Present Status in Polymeric Mouthguards. A Future Area for Additive Manufacturing?

“…Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) are frequently used as the base material for mouthguards. These elastomeric polymers are easy to process, and like EVA, present high shock absorption making them good candidates for this application [74,97,98]. Additionally, they can be intercalated with EVA layers, enhancing the energy absorption capacity of the protector [19,99].…”

“…Other polymers such as silicone rubbers are used for mouth protectors [ 96 , 97 ] because of their shock absorption capacity [ 100 , 101 ]. Auroy and colleagues proved that room temperature vulcanized silicone rubbers (RTV) have a better shock absorption capacity than EVA [ 102 , 103 ].…”

CO2-derived non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) and their potential applications

“…Transesterification is another example of a reversible reaction employed for self-healing thermoplastic PU. 92 Hydrogen bonds can be used in addition to tuning the mechanical properties of materials. In a few examples, they have been used to the self-healing extent in PU elastomer 93 and to control host–guest interactions between cyclodextrin and adamantane in thermoplastic PU prepared from hexamethylene diisocyanate and tetraethylene glycol polymer hydrogel of poly( N -isopropylacrylamide).…”

Synthesis, Properties, and Function of Self-Healing Polymer-Based on Eugenol

“…The increasing demand for fuel oil stocks used in the production of polymers and the need for polymer materials with improved performance in demanding applications further increases the need for durable materials. These challenges enable the synthesis of self-healing materials [1][2][3][4][5]. Compared to liquid electrolytes, solid electrolytes have higher safety and better thermal stability.…”