Recyclable and Self-healing Polymer Materials
In many products, duromer plastics are used in combination with other high-grade materials such as noble metals. Once used, these plastics cannot generally be reused. This also means that the high-grade raw materials in these products cannot be recovered. Additionally, synthetic and composite materials may crack under stress. If this occurs, the affected components are usually no longer sufficiently able to withstand stress and unplanned replacement becomes necessary. PCCL is developing polymers capable of altering specific parts of their structure and consequently the related properties when they are subjected to external stimuli such as light or heat. This makes it possible to produce recyclable polymer materials and enables polymers to heal themselves because material defects can be repaired by external stimuli.
