Abstract
Thermoset plastics, highly desired for their stability, durability, and chemical resistance, are currently consumed in over 60 million tons annually across the globe, but they are difficult to recycle due to their crosslinked structures. The development of recyclable thermoset plastics is an important but challenging task. In this work, recyclable thermoset plastics are prepared by crosslinking a commodity polymer, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), with a small percentage of a Ru complex via nitrile-Ru coordination. PAN is obtained from industry and the Ru complex is synthesized in one step, which enables the production of recyclable thermoset plastics in an efficient way. In addition, the thermoset plastics exhibit impressive mechanical performance, boasting a Young's modulus of 6.3GPa and a tensile strength of 109.8MPa. Moreover, they can be de-crosslinked when exposed to both light and a solvent and can then be re-crosslinked upon heating. This reversible crosslinking mechanism enables the recycling of thermosets from a mixture of plastic waste. The preparation of recyclable thermosets from other commodity polymers such as poly(styrene-coacrylonitrile) (SAN) resins and polymer composites through reversible crosslinking is also demonstrated. This study shows that reversible crosslinking via metal-ligand coordination is a new strategy for designing recyclable thermosets using commodity polymers.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.