Recyclable high-performance epoxy based on transesterification reaction

Abstract

Self-healing thermoset epoxy based on dynamic covalent bond chemistry has been developed in the past several years, which warrants the creation of recyclable epoxy. However, the existing systems produce epoxy that has lower strength, stiffness, and glass transition temperature, making them unsuitable for load-bearing structures. In this study, we developed a new recyclable thermoset epoxy through solid form recycling. The epoxy has strength, stiffness, and glass transition temperature similar to those found in conventional thermoset epoxy. The effect of healing temperature, healing time, healing pressure, and powder size on the healing efficiency was experimentally investigated. It was found that the healing efficiency is as high as 88.1%, and the epoxy can be recycled more than one time.