Metal-Coordinated Complex Polymer for Recyclable High-Strength Rubber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vulcanized rubber products recycled through harsh conditions suffer from deteriorated physical properties such as tensile strength at break (TB) and elongation at break (EB), and existing elastomers with hydrogen bonds lose strength at high temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A complex polymer with a polymer chain containing diene or olefin units and functional groups bonded to a metal ion of Groups 3 to 12 in the periodic table, forming crosslinks with bond dissociation energy of 100 kJ/mol or more, allowing for improved TB and EB.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If used vulcanized rubber products are recycled through harsh conditions (heat and shear force), then recycling is achieved, but physical properties (tensile strength at break and elongation at break) deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the bonding mechanism from hydrogen bonds (in conventional elastomers) to metal coordination bonds, fundamentally altering the chemical parameters of the crosslinking system. This enables the material to maintain structural integrity under harsh recycling conditions while preserving physical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining polymer chains with metal ions (Groups 3-12) through coordination bonds. This composite approach integrates the flexibility of polymer materials with the strength and stability of metal coordination chemistry, achieving both recyclability and maintained physical properties.
2Ease of repair
If elastomers use hydrogen bonds for crosslinking, then recyclability is achieved, but tensile strength at break and elongation at break are lost at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the bonding parameter from hydrogen bonds to metal coordination bonds, which have higher thermal stability. This parameter change allows the material to maintain its crosslinked structure and physical properties at high temperatures while remaining recyclable through controlled bond dissociation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metal ions (Groups 3-12) as intermediary agents that mediate the crosslinking between polymer chains. These metal ions act as stable intermediaries that provide thermal stability to the crosslinked structure while allowing for controlled reversibility, enabling both high-temperature performance and recyclability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The complex polymer maintains high TB and EB while being recyclable without exposure to harsh conditions, ensuring performance and recyclability.
Implementation Method 1
at least two of the functional groups are complexed with a metal ion of an element of Groups 3 to 12 in the periodic table
Implementation Method 2
the metal ion and the functional groups are bonded by a coordination bond
Data Source
AI summary
The problem of the present disclosure is to provide a polymer having improved tensile strength at break (TB) and elongation at break (EB), and the solution is to provide a complex polymer including a polymer chain containing a diene unit and/or an olefin unit and two or more functional groups containing an oxygen atom bonded to a main chain and/or a side chain of the polymer chain. The oxygen atoms in at least two of the functional groups are bonded to adjacent carbon atoms in the main chain and/or the side chain of the polymer chain, and at least two of the functional groups are complexed with a metal ion of an element of Groups 3 to 12 in the periodic table.