Creation of Tough Elastomer Based on DN Principle for Toughening of Hydrogels

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26870008
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Composite materials/Surface and interface engineering; Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAJIMA Tasuku 北海道大学, 先端生命科学研究院, 助教 (80574350)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: エラストマー / ゴム / 強靭化 / 犠牲結合 / ダブルネットワーク / セルロース

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Elastomer is unique and exclusive solid due to its anomalous softness and extensibility. For toughening of rubbers, dispersion of filler has been exclusively applied for a long time. However, recently significant improvement of elastomer toughness by this method has no longer been reported because this traditional method had been already studied for a long period. On the other hand, our group has created double network (DN) hydrogels with extremely high toughness comparable to industrial rubbers, despite 90wt% of water content. Tough DN gels are comprised of the two independent networks, which are brittle 1st and ductile 2nd networks. Note that gels and elastomers are essentially same in the mechanical viewpoint; mechanical behavior of both of them follows rubber elasticity theory. Inspired by the DN gel studies, in this research project I have created a series of tough elastomer by introduction of contrasting double network structure.

Free Research Field

高分子材料科学