The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

A large volume of polymers is produced in modern society, but significant issues remain regarding their disposal and recycling. Recent research has focused on upcycling and post-modification strategies to impart new functions to commercial polymers. In this study, we investigate how the physical properties and crosslinking density of commercial elastomers (e.g., SEBS, PU) are affected by post-modification with various crosslinkers. The crosslinkers have PEG, PDMS, or alkyl chains as backbones, and we examine how their molecular weights and feed ratios influence the material properties. For covalent attachment, tetrafluorobenzene azide or benzophenone groups were introduced at the chain end of the crosslinkers, enabling nonselective photo-crosslinking to the C–H bonds of the base elastomers. Additionally, hydrogen bonding moieties were incorporated into the crosslinker backbone to examine their effect on network properties.