Thermoset materials acquire thermoplastic properties with the aid of triazolinediones
At Ghent University (Belgium), a new type of so-called 'click' chemistry has been introduced. Like with most of click chemistry, it is based on a long-known efficient chemical reaction, which was now also found to be very practical for diverse and demanding applications. In particular, the unique reactivity of the studied 1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (TAD) reagents has been harnessed to reversibly crosslink polyurethanes, or almost any other polymer matrix. At higher temperatures the TAD-induced crosslinks can temporarily open up, giving the thermoset the ability to be reshaped or even extruded like a typical thermoplastic polymer. This is reported in the current issue of Nature Chemistry, in a joint paper by three Ghent research groups led by Filip Du Prez, Veronique Van Speybroeck and Johan Winne.