Room-temperature self-healing polyurethane with superior mechanical properties based on supramolecular structure for flame retardant application

Abstract

Self-healing polymers, with their ability to extend service life and conserve resources, have garnered significant attention across various fields due to their immense potential applications. However, most repairable polymers typically require high temperatures for repair, and their relatively weak mechanical properties limit their practical use. Moreover, the flammability of polymers not only poses safety hazards during use but also fails to meet specific requirements for flame retardancy in certain fields. Addressing these issues, this study successfully designed a reactive self-extinguishing room-temperature self-healing polyurethane (PU) by introducing hyperbranched catechol (DBPA) onto the PU main chain. The prepared self-healing PU elastomer (DPU) exhibited high tensile strength (∼51.2 MPa), outstanding toughness (∼119.0 MJ/m3), recyclability, and good flame retardancy. Through intermolecular and intramolecular multilevel hydrogen bonding, the prepared DPU0.6 achieved room-temperature self-healing with an efficiency of approximately 71.2 %. The results showed that the addition of trace amounts of DBPA (0.6 wt%) significantly enhanced the flame retardancy and thermal stability of DPU. Compared to DPU0, the heat release rate (HRR) of DPU0.6 decreased by approximately 13 %, the total heat release (THR) reduced by 18 %, and the time to ignition (TTI) was extended by 7 s (reduced by ∼ 21 %). This study not only provides insights into the synthesis and design of novel self-healing PU but also further expands the application scope of self-healing PU.