Outlook for thermoplastic elastomers.

Thermoplastic Elastomers with Photo-actuating Properties

This contribution reviews elastomeric materials with photo-actuation behavior with emphasis on thermoplastic elastomers and their composites. The principles of the photo-actuation and the main factors affecting the photo-actuation phenomena of thermoplastic elastomer materials are discussed in detail. The well-performing photoactuating systems involving both statistical and block copolymers-bas...

Multiphase design of autonomic self-healing thermoplastic elastomers.

The development of polymers that can spontaneously repair themselves after mechanical damage would significantly improve the safety, lifetime, energy efficiency and environmental impact of man-made materials. Most approaches to self-healing materials require the input of external energy, healing agents, solvent or plasticizer. Despite intense research in this area, the synthesis of a stiff mate...

Preferential Nanoreinforcement of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers with Dispersed Nano-Clay

It is difficult for scientists to engineer elastomeric materials that are both strong and tough like spider dragline silk. Inspired by the morphology of spider dragline silk and motivated to develop strong, tough, elastomeric polyurethanes to be used in soldier applications I have prepared polyurethane/clay nanocomposites. Polymer/clay nanocomposites have exhibited great potential for providing...

Electroactive Thermoplastic Dielectric Elastomers as a New Generation Polymer Actuators

Multiscale modeling of oriented thermoplastic elastomers with lamellar morphology

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are block copolymers made up of ‘‘hard’’ (glassy or crystalline) and ‘‘soft’’ (rubbery) blocks that self-organize into ‘‘domain’’ structures at a length scale of a few tens of nanometers. Under typical processing conditions, TPEs also develop a ‘‘polydomain’’ structure at the micron level that is similar to that of metal polycrystals. Therefore, from a continuum ...