Name: the preparation and properties of thermo-reversibly cross-linked rubber via diels-alder chemistry
Uploaded: 2016-08-25T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Preparation and Properties of Thermo-reversibly Cross-linked Rubber Via Diels-Alder Chemistry at JoVE.com

This research forms part of the research program of the Dutch Polymer Institute, project #749.

1. Rubber Modification
<ol>
	<li>Prepare the maleated EPM (EPM-g-MA, 49 wt% ethylene, 2.1 wt% MA, Mn = 50 kg/mol, PDI = 2.0) rubber and furfurylamine (FFA) before starting the experiment as indicated in steps 1.1.1-1.1.4.5
	<ol>
		<li>Dry the EPM-g-MA rubber in a vacuum oven for one hour at 175 &#176;C to convert present di-acid into anhydride.11</li>
		<li>Compression mold a 0.1 mm thick rubber film in a hot press for 10 min at 150 &#176;C and 100 bar.</li>
		<li>Record a transmission infrared sp...

A commercial EPM-g-MA rubber was thermo-reversibly cross-linked in a simple two-step approach. The maleated rubber was first modified with FFA to graft furan groups onto the rubber backbone. The resulting pending furans show reactivity as Diels-Alder dienes. An aliphatic BM was used as cross-linking agent, resulting in a thermo-reversible bridge between two furan moieties. Both reactions were successful with good conversions (&#62; 80%) according to infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis. Cross-linking was shown by sw...

Sulfur vulcanization and peroxide curing are currently the main industrial cross-linking techniques in the rubber industry, yielding irreversible chemical cross-links that prevent melt reprocessing.1, 2 A &#39;cradle to cradle&#39; approach to recycle cross-linked rubbers requires a material that behaves similar to permanently cross-linked rubbers at service conditions, while having the processability and complete recyclability of a thermoplastic at high temperatures. An approach to achieve such recyclability uses rubbery networks with reversible cross-links that respond to an external stimulus, such as temperature (most feasible from the viewpoint of future industrial applications).3-5 The formation of these cross-links at relatively low service temperatures is required for good mechanical behavior of the rubber, while their cleavage at high temperatures (similar to processing temperature of original non-cross-linked compound) allows for recycling of the material.
Some specific materials can be reversibly cross-linked by making use of so-called dynamic covalent networks via polycondensation reactions6 or by so-called reversible network topology freezing via transesterification reactions.7-9 The disadvantage of these approaches is the necessity of designing and synthesizing new polymers rather than modifying existing, commercial rubbers that already have the desired properties. Techniques to thermo-reversibly cross-link rubbers involve hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions and covalent bonding such as via thermo-activated disulfide rearrangements.10-13 Recently, thermo-reversible cross-linking via Diels-Alder (DA) chemistry was developed.14-21 DA chemistry can be applied to a broad range of polymers and represents a popular choice, especially since the DA reaction allows for relatively fast kinetics and mild reaction conditions.17, 22-24 Their low coupling and high decoupling temperatures make furan and maleimide excellent candidates for reversible polymer cross-linking.18-20, 25-28
The aim of the present work is to provide a method for the use of DA chemistry as a thermo-reversible cross-linking tool for an industrial rubber product (Figure 1).5 First, the reactivity of saturated hydrocarbon elastomers, such as ethylene/propylene rubbers (EPM), has to be increased. A commercially relevant example that facilitates this is the peroxide-initiated free-radical grafting of maleic anhydride (MA).29-34 Secondly, a furan group can be grafted onto such a maleated EPM rubber by inserting furfurylamine (FFA) into the pendant anhydride to form an imide.35, 36 Finally, the furan moieties that are thus attached to the rubber backbone can then participate in thermo-reversible DA chemistry as an electron-rich diene.25, 37 The electron-poor bis-maleimide (BM) is a suitable dienophile for this cross-linking reaction.19, 26, 38
<img alt="Figure 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/54496/54496fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1. Reaction scheme. Furan grafting and bismaleimide cross-linking of EPM-g-MA rubber (reprinted with permission from 5). <a href="http://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/54496/54496fig1large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="599">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">ENB-EPDM</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">LANXESS Elastomers B.V.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Keltan 8550C</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">EPM-g-MA</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">LANXESS Elastomers B.V.</td>
			<td>Keltan DE5005</td>
			<td>Vacuum oven for one hour at 175 &#176;C&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">furfurylamine</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">F20009</td>
			<td>Freshly distillated before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">di-dodecylamine</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">36784</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">maleic anhydride</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">M0357</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">octadecyl-1-(3,5-di-tert.-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">367079</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">bis(tert.-butylperoxy-iso-propyl) benzene</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">531685</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">tetrahydrofuran</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">401757</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">decalin</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">294772</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">acetone</td>
			<td style="width:97px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">320110</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

the preparation and properties of thermo-reversibly cross-linked rubber via diels-alder chemistry

A method for using Diels Alder thermo-reversible chemistry as cross-linking tool for rubber products is demonstrated. In this work, a commercial ethylene-propylene rubber, grafted with maleic anhydride, is thermo-reversibly cross-linked in two steps. The pending anhydride moieties are first modified with furfurylamine to graft furan groups to the rubber backbone. These pendant furan groups are then cross-linked with a bis-maleimide via a Diels-Alder coupling reaction. Both reactions can be performed under a broad range of experimental conditions and can easily be applied on a large scale. The material properties of the resulting Diels-Alder cross-linked rubbers are similar to a peroxide-cured ethylene/propylene/diene rubber (EPDM) reference. The cross-links break at elevated temperatures (&#62; 150 &#176;C) via the retro-Diels-Alder reaction and can be reformed by thermal annealing at lower temperatures (50-70 &#176;C). Reversibility of the system was proven with infrared spectroscopy, solubility tests and mechanical properties. Recyclability of the material was also shown in a practical way, i.e., by cutting a cross-linked sample into small parts and compression molding them into new samples displaying comparable mechanical properties, which is not possible for conventionally cross-linked rubbers.

The successful modification of EPM-g-MA into EPM-g-furan and the cross-linking with the bismaleimide is shown by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) (Figure 2). The presence of furan groups in the EPM-g-furan product can be deduced from the splitting of the CC aliphatic stretching peak (<img alt="Equation" src="/files/ftp_upload/54496/54496eq_v-sCC.jpg" /> = 1,050 cm-1) into two furan peaks (<img alt="Equation" src="/files/ftp_upload/54496/54496eq_v-...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Preparation and Properties of Thermo-reversibly Cross-linked Rubber Via Diels-Alder Chemistry at JoVE.com

The Preparation and Properties of Thermo-reversibly Cross-linked Rubber Via Diels-Alder Chemistry

A simple two-step approach involving rubber modification and cross-linking yields fully reworkable, elastic rubber products.

A method for using Diels Alder thermo-reversible chemistry as cross-linking tool for rubber products is demonstrated. In this work, a commercial ...

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