Thermo-reversible self-healing polymeric coatings derived from gum rosin

The growing demand for the development of bio-based, greener and more sustainable polymeric systems was the inspiration to develop two bio-based thermo-reversible polymers derived from gum rosin, a product of pine trees, being reported in this article. The Diene moieties were inserted into the backbones of rosin-based polymers, and thermo-reversible Diels-Alder (DA) bonds were formed between the diene moieties of the polymers and the bismaleimide crosslinkers. The introduction of thermo-reversible linkages to the polymer improves the durability of the material by extending its life span and improving its mechanical properties as well. After damage, the material shows self-healing due to the thermo-reversibility, which causes the DA bonds to de-crosslink, allowing the material to reflow to the wounded site and seal the fracture. The DA and Retro-Diels-Alder (r-DA) reactions are analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to evaluate the self-healing capabilities of polymeric materials that were applied on glass surface, mild steel, and concrete specimens. Artificial scratches were created, and the repairing process was examined.

Automated summary

This article reports on the development of two bio-based thermo-reversible polymers derived from gum rosin. The introduction of thermo-reversible linkages and Diels-Alder bonds improves the durability and self-healing capabilities of the material.