Ultrafast Remote Healing of Magneto-Responsive Thermoplastic Elastomer-Based Nanocomposites

Pablo Griffiths (1) , Gildas Coativy (2) , Florent Dalmas (1) , Guillaume Falco (1) , Liuyin Jiang (3) , Ziyin Xiang (2) , Minh-Quyen Le (2) , Benjamin Ducharne (2, 4) , Damien Le Roy (5) , Françoise Méchin (3) , Julien Bernard (3) , Sylvain Meille (1) , Guilhem Baeza (1)

1 MATEIS - Matériaux, ingénierie et science [Villeurbanne]
2 LGEF - Laboratoire de Génie Electrique et Ferroélectricité
3 IMP - Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères
4 ELyTMaX
5 iLM - ENERGIE - iLM - Transport, Nanomagnétisme et Matériaux pour l'Énergie

We describe herein, a general, efficient, and scalable process to design magneto-responsive thermoplastic elastomerbased (nano)composites that can be repeatedly healed in a few tens of seconds by triggering polymer melting upon exposure to a high-frequency magnetic field. Three series of composites loaded with 1−15 vol % of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, Fe nanoparticles, or Fe microparticles were produced and characterized in depth with the aim to identify the physical properties required for two applications: (1) material healing, which we evaluate through the rewelding of precut samples and subsequent tensile tests, and (2) surface smoothening of 3D-printed objects, serving to remove superficial defects and improve their appearance. The optimal formulation consisting of a composite reinforced with 5 vol % of Fe nanoparticles ensures a high ability to heat while keeping a low viscosity in the molten state being ideal for polymer processing.

Mots clés: induction heating; healing; nanocomposites; additive manufacturing; thermoplastic elastomers

Domaines: Matériaux; Electromagnétisme

Pablo Griffiths, Gildas Coativy, Florent Dalmas, Guillaume Falco, Liuyin Jiang, et al.. Ultrafast Remote Healing of Magneto-Responsive Thermoplastic Elastomer-Based Nanocomposites. Macromolecules, 2022, 55 (3), pp.831-843. ⟨10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02046⟩. ⟨hal-03566840⟩