Fifth International Conference on Polymer Processing and Characterization (ICPPC – 2019)

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P5

Self-healing Polyurethanes: Synthesis and Properties

Rashmi E.V., Dona Mathew, Santhosh Kumar K.S.*

Polymers and Special Chemicals Division,
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre,
Trivandrum-695 022, India.
*Email: santhoshkshankar@yahoo.com

Self-healing materials have attracted more attention in recent years as self-healing property offers numerous
exotic applications in material systems [1]. They are able to self-heal and repair once or multiple times,
either autonomically or in response to external stimuli such as changes in pH, heat, or light [2]. Introduction
of self-healing property can improve the safety, lifetime and energy efficiencyof polymeric materials [3].

In the present work, functional polyurethane (FPU) was synthesised from phloroglucinol (PG) and
hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI). This PU is forming transparent film and soluble in dimethyl formamide
(but non-melting). Another polyurethane (MPU) was synthesised from trimethanol propane (TMP) and
hexamethylene diisocyanatewhich is insoluble but melts at about 60°C. By incorporating MPU into FPU,
self-healing PUs are achieved. The melting PU allows chain movement and facilitate self-healing in 48h.
Self-healing was also achievable by external heating.The efficiency of the film after self-healing is above
90%.

[1] Ji S, Cao W, Yu Y, Xu H. Visible light induced self healing diselenide containing polyurethane
elastomer. Advanced Materials. 2015 Dec;27(47):7740-5.
[2] Du P, Wu M, Liu X, Zheng Z, Wang X, Joncheray T, Zhang Y. Diels–Alder based crosslinked
self healing polyurethane/urea from polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. Journal of Applied
Polymer Science. 2014 May 5;131(9).
[3] Du P, Liu X, Zheng Z, Wang X, Joncheray T, Zhang Y. Synthesis and characterization of linear self-
healing polyurethane based on thermally reversible Diels–Alder reaction. RSC Advances.
2013;3(35):15475-82.