Ultrafast Remote Healing of Magneto-Responsive Thermoplastic Elastomer-Based Nanocomposites
Pablo Griffiths, Gildas Coativy, Florent Dalmas, Guillaume Falco, Liuyin Jiang, Ziyin Xiang, Minh‐Quyen Le, Benjamin Ducharne, Damien Le Roy, Françoise Méchin, Julien Bernard, Sylvain Meille, Guilhem P. Baeza
Abstract
We describe herein, a general, efficient, and scalable process to design magneto-responsive thermoplastic elastomer-based (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.