Kendini iyileştirebilen termoplastik elastomerler

Elastomeric copolymers based on acrylic acid and butyl acrylate and their ionomers were prepared and characterized. A large number of segmented polyurethane and polyurea elastomers were also synthesized, characterized and blended with acrylic elastomers. Self healing behaviors of these copolymers and their blends were investigated at room temperature. Self healing behavior was determined by the extent of the recovery of the tensile strength of the samples. Effect of the copolymer structure, blend composition and the healing time on the recovery of the tensile properties was studied. All copolymers with ultimate tensile strength values around or below 1 MPa showed complete self healing. Polymers with higher tensile strengths seem to heal well initially within a few hours, but the healing does not seem to go completion upon further aging. These results seem to indicate a competition between microphase separation due to hydrogen bonding in the hard segments of the copolymer within the cut surfaces versus self healing or cross-interaction between the groups at the two interfaces.