Novel Tough and Transparent Ultra-Extensible Nanocomposite Elastomers Based on Poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) and Their Switching between Plasto-Elasticity and Viscoelasticity

Byś, Katarzyna; Strachota, Beata; Strachota, Adam; Pavlova, Ewa; Steinhart, Miloš; Mossety-Leszczak, Beata; Zając, Weronika

doi:10.3390/polym13234254

Open AccessArticle

Novel Tough and Transparent Ultra-Extensible Nanocomposite Elastomers Based on Poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) and Their Switching between Plasto-Elasticity and Viscoelasticity

by

Katarzyna Byś

¹,

Beata Strachota

¹,

Adam Strachota

^1,*

,

Ewa Pavlova

¹,

Miloš Steinhart

¹,

Beata Mossety-Leszczak

²

and

Weronika Zając

³

¹

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Heyrovskeho nam. 2, CZ-162 06 Praha, Czech Republic

²

Department of Industrial and Materials Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, al. Powstancow Warszawy 6, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland

³

Doctoral School of Engineering and Technical Sciences at the Rzeszow University of Technology, al. Powstancow Warszawy 12, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4254; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13234254

Submission received: 6 November 2021 / Revised: 23 November 2021 / Accepted: 2 December 2021 / Published: 4 December 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Silicon-Containing Polymers)

Download

Browse Figures

Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Novel stiff, tough, highly transparent and ultra-extensible self-assembled nanocomposite elastomers based on poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) (polyMEA) were synthesized. The materials are physically crosslinked by small in-situ-formed silica nanospheres, sized 3–5 nm, which proved to be a very efficient macro-crosslinker in the self-assembled network architecture. Very high values of yield stress (2.3 MPa), tensile strength (3.0 MPa), and modulus (typically 10 MPa), were achieved in combination with ultra-extensibility: the stiffest sample was breaking at 1610% of elongation. Related nanocomposites doubly filled with nano-silica and clay nano-platelets were also prepared, which displayed interesting synergy effects of the fillers at some compositions. All the nanocomposites exhibit ‘plasto-elastic’ tensile behaviour in the ‘as prepared’ state: they display considerable energy absorption (and also ‘necking’ like plastics), but at the same time a large but not complete (50%) retraction of deformation. However, after the first large tensile deformation, the materials irreversibly switch to ‘real elastomeric’ tensile behaviour (with some creep). The initial ‘plasto-elastic’ stretching thus causes an internal rearrangement. The studied materials, which additionally are valuable due to their high transparency, could be of application interest as advanced structural materials in soft robotics, in implant technology, or in regenerative medicine. The presented study focuses on structure-property relationships, and on their effects on physical properties, especially on the complex tensile, elastic and viscoelastic behaviour of the polyMEA nanocomposites.

Keywords: nanocomposites; transparent; physical networks; elastomers; self-assembly; poly(methoxyethyl acrylate); silica; clay; tough elastomers

Graphical Abstract

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Byś, K.; Strachota, B.; Strachota, A.; Pavlova, E.; Steinhart, M.; Mossety-Leszczak, B.; Zając, W. Novel Tough and Transparent Ultra-Extensible Nanocomposite Elastomers Based on Poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) and Their Switching between Plasto-Elasticity and Viscoelasticity. Polymers 2021, 13, 4254. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13234254

AMA Style

Byś K, Strachota B, Strachota A, Pavlova E, Steinhart M, Mossety-Leszczak B, Zając W. Novel Tough and Transparent Ultra-Extensible Nanocomposite Elastomers Based on Poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) and Their Switching between Plasto-Elasticity and Viscoelasticity. Polymers. 2021; 13(23):4254. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13234254

Chicago/Turabian Style

Byś, Katarzyna, Beata Strachota, Adam Strachota, Ewa Pavlova, Miloš Steinhart, Beata Mossety-Leszczak, and Weronika Zając. 2021. "Novel Tough and Transparent Ultra-Extensible Nanocomposite Elastomers Based on Poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) and Their Switching between Plasto-Elasticity and Viscoelasticity" Polymers 13, no. 23: 4254. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13234254

APA Style

Byś, K., Strachota, B., Strachota, A., Pavlova, E., Steinhart, M., Mossety-Leszczak, B., & Zając, W. (2021). Novel Tough and Transparent Ultra-Extensible Nanocomposite Elastomers Based on Poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) and Their Switching between Plasto-Elasticity and Viscoelasticity. Polymers, 13(23), 4254. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13234254

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Menu

Novel Tough and Transparent Ultra-Extensible Nanocomposite Elastomers Based on Poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) and Their Switching between Plasto-Elasticity and Viscoelasticity

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI