Science, Space and Technology News 2023
This material, which is also shape-memory and partially biodegradable, is the result of integrating the molecule polyrotaxane into an epoxy resin vitrimer. Named VPR, this new form of plastic retains its structure at low temperatures due to strong internal chemical bonds., those bonds recombine and the material can be reformed into different shapes. Applying heat and a solvent breaks VPR down into its raw components.
Although useful, there are many issues associated with plastic’s life cycle and disposal. Developing alternatives that last longer, can be reused and recycled more easily, or are made from environmentally friendly sources, is key to helping solve these problems and realize several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.With this in mind, researchers at the University of Tokyo have created a more sustainable plastic, based on an epoxy resin vitrimer.
“VPR is over five times as resistant to breaking as a typical epoxy resin vitrimer,” said Project Assistant Professor Shota Ando from the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. “It also repairs itself 15 times as fast, can recover its original memorized shape twice as fast, and can be chemically recycled 10 times as fast as the typical vitrimer. It even biodegrades safely in a marine environment, which is new for this material.
“Just to give some examples, infrastructure materials for roads and bridges are often composed of epoxy resins mixed with compounds such as concrete and carbon. By using VPR, these would be easier to maintain as they would be stronger and healable using heat,” suggested Ando. “Unlike conventional epoxy resins, this new material is hard but stretchable, so it could also be expected to strongly bond materials of different hardness and elongation, such as is needed for vehicle manufacture.
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VPR: A stronger, stretchier, self-healing plasticResearchers at the University of Tokyo have developed an innovative plastic that is stronger and stretchier than the current standard type. The plastic is also partially biodegradable, remembers its shape, and can be healed with heat. The researchers created it by adding the molecule polyrotaxane to an epoxy resin vitrimer, a type of plastic.
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