Preparation and Properties of Polyurethane with Self-Healing Function by Solvent-Free Method

• Published in: Fibers and polymers Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 1903 - 1917
• Main Authors: Tian, Qianjun, Huang, Zhichao, Wang, Lin, Shi, Lei, Shen, Liangen, Qi, Dongming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Korean Fiber Society 01.06.2023; Springer Nature B.V; 한국섬유공학회
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Flexible components; Hydrogen bonds; Leather; Mechanical properties; Phase separation; Polymer Sciences; Polyurethane resins; Regular Article; Room temperature; Segments; Self healing materials; Solvents; Textiles; 섬유공학; Self-healing; Solvent-free; Polyurethane; Hydrogen bond
• ISSN: 1229-9197; 1875-0052
• DOI: 10.1007/s12221-023-00191-y

Self-healing polyurethane materials with excellent mechanical properties have a wide range of applications, including textiles, clothing, leather, and flexible electronics. However, determining methods to obtain this material in green and environment-friendly ways is an interesting and challenging task. In this study, a series of self-healing polyurethane materials with soft segments containing diselenide bonds and hard segments including multiple hydrogen bonds were prepared using a solvent-free method. The characterization results demonstrated that the T–Se–SFPU–2 sample exhibited both favorable self-healing function as well as mechanical properties with a tensile breaking strength of 6.15 MPa, and the greatest healing effect was achieved after 6 h at room temperature under visible light. The research results further demonstrated that the hydrogen bond in the hard segment can considerably improve the mechanical properties of polyurethane. The best micro-phase separation was achieved by controlling the hydrogen bond content in the hard segment, achieving a force balance between the soft and hard segments, and finally, the optimal balance between the self-healing performance and mechanical strength of polyurethane was achieved. These results provide a new strategy for preparing polymers with different self-healing capabilities.