A self-healable, stretchable, tear-resistant and sticky elastomer enabled by a facile polymer blends strategy

Abstract

Integrating high stretchability, mechanical strength, good tear-resistance, and self-healing and adhesive properties of polymeric elastomers is challenging. Here, a new polymeric elastomer with satisfactory mechanical properties, excellent healability, good tear-resistance and adhesive properties is prepared by a facile and effective method of mixing of bromobutyl rubber (BIIR) and terpene resin (PαP). Benefiting from strong covalent crosslinking between the tacky BIIR and PαP as well as highly entangled BIIR networks, which dissipate energy to further enhance the stretchability and increase topological adhesion, elastomer blends could achieve high stretchability (a strain of ∼1720%), high mechanical strength (a tensile stress of 11.5 MPa), good adhesion to various substrates (an adhesion strength of 35 kPa), good tear-resistance (a tearing energy of 2300 J m⁻²) and self-healing properties at room temperature by varying the two polymers’ ratio. Based on the above performance, a strain sensor based on the elastic elastomer and single-wall carbon nanotubes is fabricated.