(617e) Structure-Property Relationships in Semicrystalline Polyolefin Vitrimers

Polyolefin (PO)-derived vitrimers are gaining significant research attention due to the low cost and high availability of polyolefins, combined with their excellent solvent resistance and thermal and mechanical properties, which are largely attributed to their semicrystalline structure. When polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) are transformed into vitrimers, they form dynamically crosslinked networks that can alter their semicrystalline nature. Both crystallinity and crosslinking significantly influence the mechanical performance of PO-vitrimers, alongside the phase separation often observed between the typically incompatible PO matrix and crosslinking agents. This talk will focus on the deconvolution of gel and soluble phases in PO-vitrimers and how crosslinker identity impacts vitrimer properties, including crystallization behavior, mechanical performance, and stress relaxation. A range of crosslinking chemistries and crosslinker contents were explored. This research can provide important insights into design of semicrystalline PO-based vitrimers.