Preparation of recyclable polybutadiene rubber based on acid–base complexation

Abstract

ABSTRACTThermoreversible polybutadiene (PB) rubber is prepared by the self‐assembly of thiol‐ene functionalized PB oligomers containing amine and carboxylic acid groups, respectively, via acid–base reaction. The as‐formed ionic hydrogen bonds between the amine and carboxylic acid groups function as the crosslinking points to construct the polymer network. By controlling the crosslinking density, a series of materials ranging from soft gel to stiff solid with different physical properties can be obtained. The thermal reversibility of the ionic hydrogen bonds is evidenced by rheometry and temperature‐dependent FTIR spectra. In contrast to conventional covalently crosslinked rubbers, the thermoreversible PB rubbers prepared exhibit the capability of thermally reshaping and recycling. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45280.