Bio-based coatings with self-healing effect
Inspired by the growing demand for more sustainable polymer systems, researchers have investigated thermo-reversible polymer networks composed of more than 80 percent of diethyl itaconate of biobased-origin. The synthesised coatings showed a particular ability.
The materials have been synthesised consisting of linear chains of diethylitaconate copolymerised with furfurylmethacrylate moieties enabling the formation of reversible crosslinks between the chains through the Diels-Alder reaction upon addition of a bismaleimide.
Self-healing effect confirmed
The ability to reversibly crosslink these materials can be used to improve the sustainability of the coatings by elongation of the lifetime through enhancement of mechanical properties (glass transition temperature, hardness and susceptibility towards abrasive wear as well as solvent resistance have been quantified). The thermo-reversibility of the network makes this kind of crosslinked coatings mendable after a damaging event during the coating life-time and ultimately recyclable. Heat induced decrosslinking of the coating materials through the retro-Diels Alder reaction has been analysed with differential scanning calorimetry and self-healing has been demonstrated.
The study is published in: Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 111, October 2017, Pages 38-46
Are you inteterested in bio-based raw materials? At the European Coatings Technology Forum Coatings From Renewable Resources on September 27-28 in Berlin, speakers from industry and academia present their bio-based solutions.
