Temperature Sweep Research Articles

Effect of High Content of Waste Tire Rubber and Sulfur on the Aging Behavior of Bitumen

High content rubber modified bitumen (HCRMB) prepared from the high content of waste tire rubber and bitumen has good performance while allowing greater use of the waste tires. However, HCRMB is subject to aging during use, which can affect its performance. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effect of high content of waste tire rubber and sulfur on the aging behavior of bitumen. The properties of all bitumen were tested using rolling thin film oven aging (RTFOT) test, pressure aging vessel (PAV) test, frequency sweep tests, temperature sweep (TS) test, multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test, and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) test. Test results show that the addition of sulfur to HCRMB leads to an improvement in the elasticity of HCRMB. The elasticity of HCRMB with different amounts of sulfur increases with aging. In addition, the increase in the amount of sulfur can improve the RTFOT aging resistance and the PAV aging resistance of HCRMB. Sulfur cannot reduce the degree of oxidation of HCRMB after aging, but can inhibit the degree of desulfurization of HCRMB. Furthermore, the aging process of HCRMB with different amounts of sulfur is dominated by the degradation of polybutadiene.

Research on Evaluation Index of High Temperature Performance of Rubberized Asphalt Binder

The high-temperature rheological properties of rubberized asphalt and mixture were evaluated by frequency scanning, repeated creep recovery (RCR) test, temperature sweep test, Hamburg wheel tracking test (HWTT). Based on the Pearson correlation coefficient, the correlation of the mixture gradation and asphalt characteristics with the high-temperature stability of the mixture was analyzed. Finally, the gray correlation theory was applied to analyze the evaluation indexes of the high-temperature rheological properties of rubberized asphalt and mixture. The results show that the asphalt-stone ratio and the fractal dimension (Dc) of coarse aggregate have a significant correlation with the high-temperature performance of the mixture, and the mixture with a smaller asphalt-stone ratio and a higher percentage of coarse aggregate has a better high-temperature performance. The correlation degree of softening point, viscous stiffness modulus and permanent deformation with rubber-asphalt mixture is higher than 0.7, and are significantly higher than those of rotational viscosity at 180°C. Therefore, we recommend the use of permanent deformation, softening point, and viscous stiffness modulus to evaluate the high-temperature performance of rubberized asphalt mixture.

(Digital Presentation) Temperature-Dependent Study for Electrochemical Surface Area on a Catalyst Layer Used in a PEFC

The total of catalytic particles is often unavailable to participate in the electrochemical reactions in a PEFC, which limits the PEFC performance. The electrochemical surface area (ECSA) becomes an important metric to diagnose the catalyst layer's performance and evaluate the development of new electrode materials to achieve better overall efficiency. This work intends to analyze the effects of a temperature sweep on the ECSA and determine the best model that fits the trend based on obtained results from in-situ cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests. The experiment was carried out using a single PEFC of 25 cm2 with a catalyst layer of 0.5mg Pt/cm2 and Nafion® 112 membrane, using hydrogen and nitrogen as reactant gases at 100% relative humidity (RH). The results show a loss of ECSA about 14% in the temperature range evaluated. Besides, it was found that a linear function is adequate to model the correlation based on the experimental data obtained.

Performance evaluation of surface-treated montmorillonite nanoclay-modified bitumen binder at high- and intermediate-temperature conditions

The present study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of surface treated Montmorillonite Nano Clay (NC) on performance of bitumen. The modification of bitumen was prepared using VG-30 grade bitumen with different percentages of NC by weight of bitumen (3% to 6%). Prior to mixing, surface of NC modified with Octadecyl amine and Aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Temperature susceptibility was evaluated using activation energy parameter. Rutting behavior was characterized using temperature sweep and multiple stress creep recovery tests. Fatigue performance was assessed using temperature sweep and linear amplitude sweep tests. Results inferred the potential benefit of NC in lowering the degree of temperature susceptibility. The trend of performance parameters indicate significant improvement in rutting and fatigue cracking resistance. Moreover, optimum dosage of surface treated NC was found to be 4.5% at which the binder showed significant improvement in resistance to rutting, fatigue and high temperature aging without affecting the storage stability property.

Processability and physico‐mechanical properties of ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene using low‐molecular‐weight olefin wax

AbstractThe influence of molecular weight of olefin wax as a plasticizer on the processability and properties of ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) was thoroughly investigated in this study. Two different grades of olefin wax (H5 and 210P) were used separately to plasticize UHMWPE. Comparative results were analyzed based on mixing torque, mechanical, thermal, thermo‐mechanical, and morphological aspects. The Gaussian mathematical model was applied to the internal thermo‐shear batch mixing torque data to predict processability and plasticization of the resulting compounds. A decrease in the peak torque value with increase in wax content revealed the plasticization effect. Across both types of wax (H5 and 210P) at 4, 8, and 10 phr content, the 10 phr H5 wax plasticized UHMWPE batch showed a minimum peak torque of 4.5 Nm with a broad mixing temperature window (∆T) of 32.4°C. The relatively low‐molecular‐weight wax (H5) seemed to be more efficient at uncoiling the entanglements among the amorphous phase of UHMWPE, perhaps because of its smooth interpenetration between ties. The lowest degree of crystallinity range (34%–40%) and the highest nucleation rate (0.9 min−1) were found with 10 phr H5 wax plasticized UHMWPE. The tensile strength of 30.5 MPa and elastic modulus of 127 MPa, achieved by the addition of H5 wax at 10 phr loading, confirmed the optimum effect of plasticization. The plasticization effect was also established from the loss moduli and Cole–Cole plots (log loss modulus vs. log storage modulus). A smaller number of multiple stress‐induced overshoots and the inclining approach toward the viscous dominant regime with temperature sweep were observed in the case of 10 phr H5 wax composition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed disappearance of interfacial crazing and interparticle boundaries progressively with the increase in H5 wax content. Overall, plasticized UHMWPE with 10 phr content of H5 wax showed the optimum processability and properties.

Formulation and evaluation of thermoreversible sugar-paste for hot-melt 3D printing

Herein we propose a novel approach and control method for long-paste behavior, printability, and better stability of sugarcraft under repeated heating using a three-dimensionally (3D) food printer. The experiment involved replacing 0–50% sugar powder with potato starch (PS) to ascertain the optimal conditions. A temperature sweep determined the optimum extrusion temperature, and sugarcraft showed a stable storage modulus under repeated heating cycles as PS content increased. In particular, sticky and long-paste behavior was changed to short-paste behavior in sugarcraft with 50% (w/w) PS added, showing the best results in terms of fluidity, load-bearing capacity, and printing performance. Using the thermal loop test, we successfully demonstrated that PS increases sugarcraft's stability to repeated heating. This system could be applied to 3D printed products or other materials that need stabilization of temperature and offers new guidelines for 3D food printing technology.

The Impact of Germinated Chickpea Flour Addition on Dough Rheology and Bread Quality.

The research focused on the effect of germinated chickpea flour (GCF) in a lyophilized form on dough rheology, microstructure and bread quality. The GCF addition levels in refined wheat flour with a low α-amylase activity were 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, up to an optimum falling number value of the mixed flour. Generally, the dough rheological properties of water absorption, tolerance to mixing, dough consistency, dough extensibility, index of swelling, baking strength and loss tangent (tan δ) for the temperature sweep test decreased with the increased level of GCF addition, whereas the total volume of gas production and G′ and G″ modules for the temperature sweep test increased. Dough microstructure analyzed by epifluorescence light microscopy (EFLM) clearly showed a change in the starch and gluten distribution from the dough system by an increase in protein and a decrease in starch granules phase with the increased level of GCF addition in wheat flour. The bread physical characteristics (loaf volume, porosity, elasticity) and sensory ones were improved with up to 15% GCF addition in wheat flour. The bread firmness increased, whereas the bread gumminess, cohesiveness and resilience decreased with increased GCF addition in wheat flour. The bread crust and crumb color of the bread samples become darker with an increased GCF addition in the bread recipe.

The Effects of Activation Treatments for Crumb Rubber on the Compatibility and Mechanical Performance of Modified Asphalt Binder and Mixture by the Dry Method

Compatibility and mechanical performance of crumb rubber (CR)-modified asphalt and mixtures prepared by the dry method are poor at present, which limits the application of dry-mixed asphalt rubber in paving engineering. To solve this problem, various activated treatments for CR were performed, and the modified asphalt binder was prepared by the dry process in this study, aiming to activate the CR as the modifier and improve the compatibility of CR-asphalt blends. The effects of pre-treating methods of high temperature, pre-swelling, and microwave treatment on rutting resistance and compatibility of the asphalt binder and asphalt mixture were evaluated. Furthermore, the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) of temperature sweep, Brookfield rotary viscosity, physical properties, rutting resistance, and microstructure of modified asphalt were measured. The results indicated that the three treatments have a pronounced effect on the high temperature performance of the crumb rubber-modified asphalt (CRMA) binder in the dry process and modified asphalt storage stability improvement. The high-temperature and microwave pre-treatment for CR lead to the largest complex modulus, viscosity, and rutting factor. Moreover, high-temperature, pre-swelling, and microwave treatment for CR significantly increases the dynamic stability of dry-mixed asphalt mixtures, which indicates the enhanced resistance to permanent deformation. In microscopy, homogeneous and compatible states were obtained for asphalt modified by high temperature-treated CR and pre-swelled CR, in which the strong interaction occurs among rubber molecules and the asphalt component. The microstructure of dry CR-asphalt blends sheds light on the mechanical performance. Consequently, activated CR modification for the asphalt binder by the dry process in this study is a promising technology, and other properties need to be verified in the future.

Investigation on the characteristics and effect of plant fibers on the properties of asphalt binders

In this paper, the effect of five different plant fibers on the performance of asphalt binder was evaluated. During the research, the microstructure, components and thermal stability of these fibers were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer and thermogravimetric analysis. The surface energy characteristics of five plant fibers was investigate by a contact angle test. To estimate the performance of five plant fiber asphalt binders, the cone penetration test, temperature sweep test, multiple stress creep recovery test and bending beam rheometer test were carried out. Results showed that bagasse fiber, corn straw fiber and cotton straw fiber presented hollow structure and their surface textures were rougher than bamboo fiber and lignin fiber. The functional group compositions of five plant fibers showed high similarity and the main components of these fibers were celluloses, hemicelluloses and lignin. All these fibers had good thermostability at working temperature. Within five plant fibers, corn straw fiber possessed the highest amount of surface free energy, which led to the best adhesion with asphalt binder. After applying these plant fibers, the toughness and permanent deformation resistance of asphalt binders were improved. Whereas, the low-temperature properties of fiber modified asphalt binders degraded. Within five plant fibers, corn straw fiber can better improve the road performance of asphalt binder. However, corn straw fiber was more vulnerable to moisture damage, which had adverse impacts on the water damage resistance of asphalt binder.

Benchmarking solid oxide electrolysis cell-stacks for industrial Power-to-Methane systems via hierarchical multi-scale modelling

Power-to-Gas (PtG) is prognosticated to realize large capacity increases and create substantial revenues within the next decade. Due to their inherently high efficiencies, solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) have the potential to become one of the core technologies in PtG applications. While thermal integration of the high-temperature SOEC module with downstream exothermic methanation is a very potent concept, the performance of SOECs needs to be boosted to amplify the technologies impact for future large-scale plants. Here, we use a combined experimental and modelling approach to benchmark commercial electrolyte- (ESC) and cathode-supported cell (CSC) designs on industrial-scale planar SOEC stack performance. In a first step, comprehensive electrochemical and microstructural analyses are carried out to parametrize, calibrate and validate a detailed multi-physics 2D cell model, which is then used to study the cells’ behaviour in detail. The analysis reveals that there exists a cell-specific threshold steam conversion of ∼80% for the ESC and ∼75% for the CSC design, which represents a maximum of the total (heat plus electrical) electrolysis efficiency. Moreover, while the ESC-design suffers from performance reductions under pressurized conditions, considerable performance increases of ∼9% at 20 atm (700 °C, 1.35 V) compared to atmospheric pressure are predicted for the CSC design, showcasing a unique advantage of the CSC cell for process integration with the catalytic methanation. Subsequently, based on a 3D stack model, a scale-up to the industrial stack size is conducted. To comparatively assess stack performances under application-oriented conditions, optimization studies are carried out for 150-cell stack units based on the two cell designs individually. When optimally selecting the stack operation points, the model predicts the CSC-based stack to reach a high capacity up to 36.6 kW (∼10.6 Nm3 H2 h−1) at 1.35 V and 700 °C, whilst ensuring reasonably low temperature gradients (<10 K cm−1) and sweep gas cooling requirements (<30 sccmcm−2). Thus, CSC-design stacks incorporating such a highly active cell design can be expected to further boost the competitiveness of high-temperature electrolysis in PtG plant concepts.

Investigation of the aging behaviors of reclaimed asphalt

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) has been extensively used in asphalt pavement nowadays. Under the coupled impacts of traffic loading and environmental factors, aged binder in RAP would suffer the secondary aging, and seriously affect the performance of the reclaimed asphalt binder. This study explored the aging behaviors of the composite asphalt binder (50% RAP binder + 50% SBS binder). Comparison was made in aging performance between RAP binder, virgin SBS binder and their composite by conducting RTFOT test with different aging durations. Centrifugal extraction and rotary evaporator methods were firstly adopted to recover RAP binder. Rheology tests, including the DSR temperature sweep test, multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test and linear amplitude sweep (LAS) test, were conducted. Results showed that the high temperature stability of composite binder increased significantly after the secondary aging. With increasing the aging duration, the stiffness of the composite binder increased, which led to the decrease of creep deformation and deformation recovery. The effect of RAP binder on the creep characteristics of composite binder was greater than that of the SBS binder, and the variations of R, Jnr, R-diff and Jnr-diff of the composite binder with the aging duration remained basically the same as that of the RAP binder. The fatigue resistance of binders decreased gradually with the increasing the aging duration. For a given level of aging duration and strain, the fatigue life Nf of the composite binder always lay between the RAP binder and the SBS binder. The fatigue life attenuation law of composite binder is almost the same as that of RAP binder in the short-term aging stage (less than 85 min), while for long-term aging the fatigue life attenuation law is more similar to that of SBS binder.

Hysteretic temperature dependence of resistance controlled by gate voltage in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerface electron system

For two-dimensional electron gas device applications, it is important to understand how electrical-transport properties are controlled by gate voltage. Here, we report gate voltage-controllable hysteresis in the resistance–temperature characteristics of two-dimensional electron gas at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerface. Electron channels made of the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerface showed hysteretic resistance–temperature behavior: the measured resistance was significantly higher during upward temperature sweeps in thermal cycling tests. Such hysteretic behavior was observed only after application of positive back-gate voltages below 50 K in the thermal cycle, and the magnitude of hysteresis increased with the applied back-gate voltage. To explain this gate-controlled resistance hysteresis, we propose a mechanism based on electron trapping at impurity sites, in conjunction with the strong temperature-dependent dielectric constant of the SrTiO3 substrate. Our model explains well the observed gate-controlled hysteresis of the resistance–temperature characteristics, and the mechanism should be also applicable to other SrTiO3-based oxide systems, paving the way to applications of oxide heterostructures to electronic devices.

Thermo-rheological properties of chitosan hydrogels with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and methylcellulose

Thermal and rheological properties of methylcellulose (MC) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) hydrogels with chitosan (CHI) were investigated to verify the potential application of these blends as structured systems for oil transport (emulgel, oleogels, and bigels). FTIR confirmed hydrophobic interactions of cellulosic polymers with chitosan. In the temperature sweep, the thermosensitive hydrogels showed their reduced gel point compared to the original polymers. The gelation temperature was reduced from 66.9 °C for pure HPMC to 43.6 °C and 43.6 °C (MC pure polymer) to 39.3 °C when 30% CHI was added for both cases. The addition of 20 and 30% chitosan is enough to modify the extension of the gelation temperature of these polymers. These results indicate that the addition of chitosan enables MC and HPMC to form gels at lower temperatures, which could allow milder thermal conditions to be applied in processing oil carrier systems.

The effect of homogenization and heat treatment on gelation of whey proteins in emulsions

The effect of multiple high-pressure homogenization (HPH) pre-processing, oil content (3.2% or 30% w/v) and salt presence (0.1 M NaCl) on the heat-induced gel structure in oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by whey protein concentrate (WPC) was monitored by temperature sweep tests using both oscillatory rheology and multi-speckle diffusing wave spectroscopy (MSDWS). In addition, viscosity and flow parameters, thixotropy and storage stability were assessed for HPH- and heat-treated emulsions. The high-fat emulsion pre-processed by one HPH pass as well as low and high-fat emulsions with NaCl, pre-processed by both one or three HPH passes, formed a strong gel by heating. Heating of low-fat emulsions resulted in denaturation and aggregation of protein molecules, either present in the aqueous phase or adsorbed at the oil–water interface, and subsequent formation of a weak gel structure. The high-fat emulsion after intensive emulsification by three HPH passes was resistant to creating a protein spatial network by heating. The gel point temperature obtained from oscillatory rheology tests was close to the end point temperature of protein denaturation obtained from MSDWS tests for all types of emulsions tested in this study.

Coordination with zirconium: A facile approach to improve the mechanical properties and thermostability of gelatin hydrogel.

The poor mechanical property and thermostability restricted applications of gelatin hydrogel. Herein, a facile and inexpensive approach of immerging cooling induced gelatin hydrogels into Zr(SO4)2 dilute solution was applied to overcome these shortages. After this treatment, the micropores in hydrogel decreased to tens of microns while the water content slightly decreased. XPS results revealed that the coordination bonds formed between amino or carboxyl groups of gelatins and Zr4+. After immerging in 0.06M Zr4+ solution, mechanical tests showed that the elastic modulus, compressive modulus and compressive strength of hydrogel were about 400, 1192 and 476kPa, respectively, which were approximate 100, 11 and 5 times larger than those of pure gelatin. The DSC data indicated that the thermoreversible temperature of triple helix structure in gelatin was improved from about 30°C to 55°C. More importantly, the rheological temperature sweep test revealed that hydrogels with 0.06M Zr4+ treatment can maintain the hydrogel state without melting even at 80°C. CCK-8 tests and Calcein-AM/PI double-stain experiments demonstrated Zr4+ coordination was non-cytotoxic. These promising data indicated this nontoxic method was efficient and had potential to fabricate gelatin related materials for further application.

Preparation process and performance of thermoplastic polyurethane/amorphous poly alpha olefin compound modified bitumen

As a bitumen modifier, waste thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) could effectively improve the intermediate and low temperature pavement performance of bitumen and increase the recycling rate of waste. However, the high temperature performance of TPU modified bitumen is insufficient, which limits the application of TPU modified bitumen in pavement engineering. The objective of this study is to improve the high temperature performance of TPU-modified bitumen by compounding amorphous poly alpha olefin (APAO). The orthogonal test of TPU/APAO modified bitumen was conducted to determine the preparation process parameters. The physical and rheological properties of TPU/APAO modified bitumen were investigated by penetration, softening point, ductility, elastic recovery, viscosity, dynamic shear rheometer (DSR, including temperature sweep and multiple stress creep recovery), and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests. The compatibility and modification mechanism of TPU/APAO modified bitumen were studied by storage stability, fluorescence microscopy (FM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests. The test results show that the optimum preparation process of TPU/APAO compound modified bitumen is 5000 rpm for 60 min at 190 °C. The addition of APAO reduces penetration and ductility, increases softening point and viscosity of TPU modified bitumen. The low temperature performance is not sacrificed with the improvement of the high temperature PG grade. Besides, the anti-aging properties and creep recovery rate of compound modified bitumen are optimal at 2% TPU and 6% APAO. The proper content of APAO can improve the compatibility between TPU and bitumen. APAO is physically mixed with bitumen, but the free isocyanate in TPU can react with the polar carboxyl group (asphaltene) and their product is closely related to the PU bond.

Texture and viscoelastic characteristics of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) surimi affected by combination of washing regimes and hydrogen peroxide.

This study aimed to apply H2 O2 at different concentrations in combination with mince:water (M:W) ratios and different washing cycles (WCs) to produce surimi gel from silver carp without compromising its quality characteristics. Color, texture, microstructure, and rheological properties of surimi gels were investigated. Water holding capacity, texture profile, and gel strength showed a greater dependency on number of WCs than the M:W ratios and percentage of H2 O2 (p < .05), that is, higher WCs, firmer surimi gel. Accordingly, T2 (one WC, 2% H2 O2 , 1:3), T10 (two WC, 1% H2 O2 , 1:2), and T16 (three WC, 1% H2 O2 , 1:2) treatments resulted the most cohesive and resilient surimi compared with the rest (p < .05), confirmed by scanning electron microscopy images. However, all treated fish mince samples with H2 O2 , resulted in a surimi gel with lower texture quality compared with the control surimi prepared by conventional washing process without H2 O2 (p < .05). A temperature sweep test was conducted based on the linear viscoelastic region stress and frequency values and the aforementioned surimi gels exhibited an obvious valley shape pattern at temperature range of 48-62°C. In the creep-recovery test, the Burgers model satisfactorily described the internal structure of the surimi gel samples as the lowest deformation belonged to the control samples followed by T2. However, after 300 s strain, neither of surimi gels were fully recovered their original shape. Altogether, further studies are needed to clarify the effects of H2 O2 in reduction of WCs, without significantly affecting the textural and rheological properties of resultant surimi gel.

Oscillatory and Thermo Rheological Studies of Wheat and Chickpea Flour Blended Doughs for Producing Arabic Flat Bread

Doughs made from blends of white wheat flour and wholegrain wheat flour mixed with chickpea flour were studied rheologically and morphologically in an effort to understand the effect of chickpea flour on the rheology of doughs. The doughs were subjected to a variety of rheological tests to understand how chickpea flour substitution affects wheat dough rheological behavior. Strain sweep, frequency sweep and temperature sweep tests were carried out. Strain sweep tests show that chickpea flour dough has a significantly strong nonlinear behavior compared to white wheat flour dough and wholegrain wheat flour dough. Frequency sweep tests show the solid like behavior of the doughs. From the theoretical analysis of strain sweep and frequency sweep experimental results, we conclude that up to 10% substitution of chickpea flour to wheat flour does not alter the doughs rheological behavior. Temperature sweep tests show that the chickpea flour dough follows zero-order gelatinization kinetics, whereas white wheat flour dough and wholegrain wheat flour doughs follow first-order gelatinization kinetics.

Investigation on the influence of AC electric filed and KCl on the structure and gel properties of Konjac glucomannan

The influence of alternating current (AC) electric field and KCl on the structure and gel properties of Konjac Glucomannan (KGM) were studied in this work by high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), acid-base titration, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry/thermo gravimetric analyzer (DSC/TGA) and a rheometer. HPGPC showed KGM was degraded by AC electric field and Acid-base titration showed that under the action of AC electric field and KCl KGM removed part of acetyl groups, which were consistent with the analysis of NMR. XRD and temperature sweep measurements respectively showed that the electrotreatment time and KCl concentration had important effects on the gel formation and its three-dimensional network. Simultaneous DSC/TGA and temperature sweep measurements both demonstrated the gel had good thermal stability.

Cross-Linking of Polypropylene via the Diels-Alder Reaction.

In this work, the possibility of preparing cross-linked polypropylene (PP) via Diels–Alder (DA) chemistry is explored. The overall strategy involves reaction of maleated polypropylene (the starting material), furfuryl amine (FFA), and bismaleimide (BM) as the cross-linking agent. The occurrence of reversible cross-linking was studied by checking the presence of relevant peaks in FTIR spectra, i.e., CH out-of-plane bending vibrations of the furan ring’s peak (γCH) at an absorption band of 730–734 cm−1, CH=CH of the BM aromatic ring’s stretching vibrations (υCH=CH) at an absorption band of 1510 cm−1, and the DA adduct (C-O-C, δDAring) at an absorption band of 1186 cm−1. In agreement with the spectroscopic characterization, the presence of a cross-linked network is also confirmed by rheology, namely the higher storage modulus (G′) compared with loss modulus (G″) value (G′ >> G″), as obtained via temperature sweep. Both the maleic anhydride (MA) content as well as the annealing temperature (50 °C and 120 °C) favor the DA reaction, while only partial de-cross-linking (retro DA) is observed at the higher temperature range of 150–200 °C. In addition, the products show higher mechanical robustness and thermal stability compared to the starting material.