Design of Self-Healing EPDM/Ionomer Thermoplastic Vulcanizates by Ionic Cross-Links for Automotive Application

The development of smart elastomeric materials with inherent self-repairing abilities after mechanical damage has important technological and scientific implications, particularly in regard to the durability and life cycle of rubber products. The interest in self-healing materials for automotive app...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polymers 2022-03, Vol.14 (6), p.1156
Main Authors: Jin, Woo Seok, Sahu, Pranabesh, Park, Sung Min, Jeon, Jun Ha, Kim, Nam Il, Lee, Jae Hyeon, Oh, Jeong Seok
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acids
Automotive parts
Crosslinking
Elastomers
Fracture surfaces
Instrument panels
Ionomers
Maleic anhydride
Mechanical properties
Microscopy
Morphology
Polymer blends
Propylene
Reprocessing
Rubber
Scratch resistance
Self healing materials
Sulfur content
Thermodynamic properties
Zinc oxide
Zinc oxides
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Summary:The development of smart elastomeric materials with inherent self-repairing abilities after mechanical damage has important technological and scientific implications, particularly in regard to the durability and life cycle of rubber products. The interest in self-healing materials for automotive applications is rapidly growing along with the increasing importance of vehicle scratch quality and quantity. The creation of a reversible network by noncovalent ionic cross-linking in elastomer/rubber blends is an effective approach to generate the self-healing phenomenon, with reprocessing and recycling properties. In this work, thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) were prepared using ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM) polymers and high-acid-containing thermoplastic ionomers. Along with the general EPDM, maleic anhydride grafted EPDM (EPDM- -MAH) was also used for the preparation of the TPVs. The strategy was based on a simple ionic crosslinking reaction between the carboxyl groups present in the ionomer and zinc oxide (ZnO), where the formation of reversible Zn salt bondings exhibits the self-healing behavior. The heterogeneous blending of EPDM and ionomers was also used to investigate the thermal and mechanical properties of the TPVs. The experimental findings were further supported by the surface morphology of the fracture surfaces viewed using microscopy. The self-healing behavior of the TPVs has been identified by scratch resistance testing, where the EPDM- -MAH TPVs showed excellent healing efficiency of the scratch surface. Therefore, this work provides an efficient approach to fabricate new ionically cross-linked thermoplastic vulcanizates with excellent mechanical and self-repairing properties for the skins of automotive interior door trims and instrument panel applications.
ISSN:2073-4360
2073-4360
DOI:10.3390/polym14061156