(670a) Polymeric Gels Prepared From the Mixtures of Polar Polymers and Ionic Liquids for Thermally Re-Mendable Coating Systems

Interests in sustainable and renewable polymeric materials have increased rapidly in the recent past as fossil fuel resources dwindle. Most of the current ?self-healing? materials, however, require special ingredients such as a catalyst and additional monomer combined with delivery vehicles such as encapsulation. We will demonstrate that simple mixtures of polar polymers (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol) and high-melting ionic liquids (e.g., 1-ethylpyridinium bromide) have great potential for thermally re-mendable coating applications. Such mixtures show highly depressed glass transition temperatures (which allows for thermal reflow by mild heating), negligible crystallinity (which eliminates thermal barrier for reversible process) and highly elastic properties akin to cross-linked polymeric gels. Effect of the ionic liquids on the structure of the polar polymers is investigated by small angle X-ray scattering and FT-IR. Thermal re-mendability is demonstrated from scratched films before/after mild thermal treatment using optical microscopy.