Tough bio-based elastomer nanocomposites with high performance for engineering applications
Wei, T. Lei, L. Kang, H. Qiao, B. Wang, Z. Zhang, L. Hua, K-C. Kulig, J.
Wei, T.
Lei, L.
Kang, H.
Qiao, B.
Wang, Z.
Zhang, L.
Hua, K-C.
Kulig, J.
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2012
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Abstract
Biomass feedstocks offer a viable alternative to finite fossil‑fuel resources, providing many of the same chemical building blocks—along with others that petrochemicals cannot—needed to fabricate durable, high‑performance materials. Here, we demonstrate for the first time a new generation of synthesized elastomers, termed bio‑based engineering elastomers (BEE). These materials are particularly significant because they are produced from biomass‑derived monomers using routes suitable for large‑scale manufacturing, and they exhibit thermo‑mechanical properties at least equivalent to current commercial petrochemical elastomers.
Bio‑based monomers already available at industrial scale—such as sebacic acid, itaconic acid, succinic acid, 1,3‑propanediol, and 1,4‑butanediol—were selected to generate the first synthetic BEE matrix via melt polycondensation, a comparatively simple reaction scheme offering good control and strong potential for low‑cost, large‑scale production. A novel linear BEE was designed and synthesized: an almost non‑crystalline copolyester elastomer with a low glass transition temperature (Tg) and pendant double bonds, created using multiple monomers to suppress crystallization.
Silica nanoparticles were incorporated into the BEE matrix to achieve substantial reinforcement and enhanced environmental stability. Chemical crosslinks formed through peroxide‑initiated reactions with the pendant double bonds provide the elastomer with both high elasticity and the required long‑term stability. The resulting BEE nanocomposites exhibit excellent thermomechanical performance, including an ultimate tensile strength of approximately 20 MPa.
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Wei T, Lei L, Kang H et al (2012) Tough bio-based elastomer nanocomposites with high performance for engineering applications. Advanced Engineering Materials. 14(1-2): 112-118.
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