Modified cellulose nanocrystals are used to enhance the performance of self-healing siloxane elastomers

Abstract

Self-healing siloxane elastomers with high ductility can be developed for the manufacture of wearable and flexible electronic devices. However, the poor mechanical properties of self-healing siloxane elastomers limit their industrial applications. Herein, the mechanical and self-healing properties of siloxane elastomers were improved using 3-isocyanatepropyltrimethoxysilane modified (ICNCs) as a crosslinking agent and nanofiller. ICNCs increased the tensile strength and shear strength of siloxane elastomers by 54% and 68.6%, respectively. Significantly, ICNCs decreased the relaxation time for siloxane elastomers and reduced the activation energy for reversible siloxane equilibration from 68 kJ/mol to 38 kJ/mol. Therefore, ICNCs improve the self-healing and welding efficiency of siloxane elastomers. Furthermore, the self-healing siloxane elastomer maintained excellent mechanical properties and thermal properties after three cycles of recycling. Our research reveals that such a material can be applied to the field of recyclable self-healing products and surface adhesives.