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Polymer foams are an important class of engineering material that are finding diverse applications, including as structural parts in automotive industry, insulation in construction, core materials for sandwich composites, and cushioning in mattresses. The vast majority of these manufactured foams are homogeneous with respect to porosity and structural properties. In contrast, while cellular materials are also ubiquitous in nature, nature mostly fabricates heterogeneous foams, e.g., cellulosic plant stems like bamboo, or a human femur bone. Foams with such engineered porosity distribution (graded density structure) have useful property gradients and are referred to as functionally graded foams. Functionally graded polymer foams are one of the key emerging innovations in polymer foam technology. They allow enhancement in properties such as energy absorption, more efficient use of material, and better design for specific applications, such as helmets and tissue restorative scaffolds. Here, following an overview of key processing parameters for polymer foams, we explore recent developments in processing functionally graded polymer foams and their emerging structures and properties. Processes can be as simple as utilizing different surface materials from which the foam forms, to as complex as using microfluidics. We also highlight principal challenges that need addressing in future research, the key one being development of viable generic processes that allow (complete) control and tailoring of porosity distribution on an application-by-application basis.

Natural rubber (NR) foam can be prepared by the Dunlop method using concentrated natural latex with chemical agents. Most previous studies have focused on the thermodynamic parameters of solid rubber in extension. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the NR matrix concentration on the static and dynamic properties of NR foams, especially the new approach of considering the thermodynamic aspects of NR foam in compression. We found that the density and compression strength of NR foams increased with increasing NR matrix concentration. The mechanical properties of NR foam were in agreement with computational modelling. Moreover, thermodynamic aspects showed that the ratio of internal energy force to the compression force, F u /F, and the entropy, S, increased with increasing matrix concentration. The activation enthalpy, ∆H a , also increased with increasing matrix concentration in the NR foam, indicating the greater relaxation time of the backbone of the rubber molecules. New scientific concepts of thermodynamic parameters of the crosslinked NR foam in compression mode are proposed and discussed. Our results will improve both the knowledge and the development of rubber foams based on the structure–properties relationship, especially the new scientific concept of the thermodynamical parameters under compression.

Supramolecular polymers are widely utilized and applied in self-assembly or self-healing materials, which can be repaired when damaged. Normally, the healing process is classified into two types, including extrinsic and intrinsic self-healable materials. Therefore, the aim of this work is to review the intrinsic self-healing strategy based on supramolecular interaction or non-covalent interaction and molecular recognition to obtain the improvement of mechanical properties. In this review, we introduce the main background of non-covalent interaction, which consists of the metal–ligand coordination, hydrogen bonding, π–π interaction, electrostatic interaction, dipole–dipole interaction, and host–guest interactions, respectively. From the perspective of mechanical properties, these interactions act as transient crosslinking points to both prevent and repair the broken polymer chains. For material utilization in terms of self-healing products, this knowledge can be applied and developed to increase the lifetime of the products, causing rapid healing and reducing accidents and maintenance costs. Therefore, the self-healing materials using supramolecular polymers or non-covalent interaction provides a novel strategy to enhance the mechanical properties of materials causing the extended cycling lifetime of products before replacement with a new one.

Concentrated natural latex was used to produce a rubber foam that is porous, elastic and well ventilated. The mechanical properties can be either soft or firm, depending on the formulation of the latex used. Briefly, concentrated natural latex was mixed with chemical agents to make the rubber foam on a laboratory scale using the Dunlop process. In this work, we changed the concentration of the chemical blowing agent in the latex. The morphological properties of the rubber foam were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, and the mechanical properties, or elasticity, were studied using compression experiments and the Mooney–Rivlin calculation. The results show that the concentration of the chemical blowing agent affects the morphological properties of the rubber foam but not the mechanical properties, indicating the heterogeneous structure of the rubber foam. The thermodynamic parameters (∆G and ∆S) and the internal energy force per compression force (Fu/F) of the rubber foam with various amounts of chemical blowing agent were also investigated. This study could be applied in the foam industry, particularly for pillow, mattress and insulation materials, as the present work shows the possible novel control of the morphological structure of the rubber foam without changing its mechanical properties. The difference in cell sizes could affect the airflow in rubber foam.

Crosslinking natural rubber (NR) and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites with carbon black (CB) have been utilized in the tire tread industry. A sulfur-based lightly crosslinker can potentially enhance the self-healing capabilities of rubber. Moreover, the rubber composites were studied for non-covalent interactions between the benzene rings of SBR and CB. In this research, rubber samples were prepared, and their structure was investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy. The red shift in Raman spectroscopy confirmed non-covalent interaction or hydrophobic interaction between SBR and CB in NR/SBR composites exposed to CB due to environmental change. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms showed that NR and SBR were incompatible. Additionally, the mechanical properties of these rubber blends were enhanced as the proportion of NR increased. The maximum self-healing performance reached 40% for the formulation containing 25 phr NR and 75 phr SBR, which also saved energy with low chain end movements. Therefore, these composites could be utilized as a semi-empirical model for studying crosslinked rubber blends, specifically in the rubber tire industry.

Thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), which is based on bromobutyl rubber (BIIR) and polypropylene (PP), combines the good melt-processability and recyclability of PP with its excellent elasticity. In the structure of BIIR, there are a few bromines that have a polar component of about 1.8%. When BIIR is mixed with PP, it causes poor compatibility due to a non-polar PP. This research aims to prepare TPV from BIIR and PP by the melt mixing process. The ratio of rubber to plastic was set at 65:35. After that, to increase the compatibility, polypropylene-grafted maleic acid anhydride (PP-g-MA) was used as an enhancer at different concentrations. The mechanical properties of the TPV with and without a filled compatibilizer were studied. The results demonstrated that adding PP-g-MA considerably enhanced the tensile strength, suggesting improved BIIR and PP compatibility. By incorporating PP-g-MA also resulted in an increase in tear resistance, which suggests enhanced adhesion between BIIR and PP. Furthermore, all TPVs maintain a similar hardness Shore A. This work could be applied to some specific TPV applications, especially for the recycle TPV products.

Shape memory elastomers have revolutionised the world since their introduction in the 20th century. The ability to tailor chemical structures to produce a family of materials in wide-ranging forms with versatile properties has propelled them to be ubiquitous. Recent challenges in the end-of-life management of polymeric materials should prompt us to ask, ‘what innovations in polymeric materials can make a strong case for their use as efficient materials?’ The development of smart elastomers that can acquire, convey, or process a stimulus (such as temperature, pressure, electromagnetic field, moisture, and chemical signals) and reply by creating a useful effect, specifically a reversible change in shape, is one such innovation. Here, we present a brief overview of shape memory elastomers (SMEs) and thereafter a review of recent advances in their development. We discuss the complex processing of structure-property relations and how they differ for a range of stimuli-responsive SMEs, self-healing SMEs, thermoplastic SMEs, and antibacterial and antifouling SMEs. Following innovations in SEMs, the SMEs are forecast to have significant potential in biotechnology based on their tailorable physical properties that are suited to a range of different external stimuli.