Wonders Of Supramolecular Chemistry, Self Healing Rubber, Self-Healing Materials, Potential Applications, Fibre2fashion

All kinds of articles can be reused even after breaking or cracking. Seems mind-boggling, yet true. Thanks to the auto healing process.

Rubbers display enormous extensible characters, and also have the ability to recover back to their original shape and dimension, once the pressure on it is released. This rubber is made of a single and stretchy molecule that is held together with chemical links called covalent bonds. If these bonds are cut due to some reason, the rubber cannot be repaired. New approaches in the chemistry of materials are opening new windows to the potential applications of rubber. A leading chemical company in France has used a new approach through which broken or cracked rubber can be repaired by itself and in a normal room temperature.

This is a rubber like material made from plant oil, and urea developed on the basis of supra-molecular engineering. Supramolecular chemistry is a branch of chemistry which enables major enhancements in everyday applications. Through this process, rubber can be repaired by simply putting together the fractured surfaces at room temperature. This process can be repeated several times.

Supramolecular Chemistry Initiates Self-healing Materials:

Supramolecular materials which are intermolecular bonds, in contrast with polymers are derived from traditional chemistry, based on irreversible i.e.; permanent bonds. This feature enables a self-healing capacity. This is a renewable bio-based polymer which can fix itself when sliced into two. Cracks or breaks occurring in supramolecular materials can be healed by simply putting the fractured surfaces back together and applying light pressure; the materials recover nearly all their initial strength without the need for bonding or heating.

When rubber is cut, the end groups on the acids are exposed and hydrogen bonds to the neighboring groups are also broken. Its nature is to seek a partner to link, and this happens when the cut surfaces are brought back together. When the two cut surfaces are brought in contact with each other, the hydrogen bonds are formed again. The longer the ends are held together, the stronger the bond is. Once the healing process is complete, the healed rubber can be stretched to twice its size just after a short time of 15 minutes.

Potential Applications:

This self healing elastomer technology has wide range of applications in fields where rubber is used, and is likely to be damaged by cracks. This technology foresees profitable applications in making conveyor belts, sealing joints, insulation and shock absorbing materials, organic binders, sealants, varnishes, paints, coatings for metal and many more.

These materials can be processed, reused and recycled several times. These bizarre self healing properties, the simplicity of their synthesis, and reasonable cost of materials makes them a preferential choice for industrial applications. Supramolecular chemistry is a proof of how application oriented industrial research can be creatively utilized for major industrial innovations.

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