Scientists at the University of Tokyo have created a self-healing plastic that is stronger than existing plastics. The new plastic can also dissolve in seawater and turn into food for plankton. The development is capable of covering many application areas, from construction to mechanical engineering and even light industry. And clothes based on new plastic can change shape under the iron or steam generator, opening up the field of imagination.

Scientists used vitrimer epoxy resin as the basis for a new type of plastic. Vitrimers are a relatively new class of plastics that are hard and durable at low temperatures, while also being able to be reshaped repeatedly at high temperatures (like thermoplastics used to make plastic bottles). However, as a rule, they are brittle and cannot be stretched without damage. By adding a polytaxane molecule to the vitrimer, experts were able to create a much better version of the plastic, which they called VPR (polyrotaxane-incorporated vitrimer).

“VPR is five times more break-resistant than traditional epoxy-based vitrimer, – explained project manager Shota Ando. – It also regenerates 15 times faster than a normal vitrimer, regains its original shape twice as fast and can be chemically recycled 10 times faster. “It even degrades safely in the marine environment, which is new for this material.”

Recovery of the pre-flattened shape of the origami pigeon under heating

As the experiment shows, the new polymer decomposes by 25% in seawater within 30 days, becoming food for plankton. Plastic in the ocean is the most serious problem, and a new material could alleviate this problem.

Self-healing VPR plastic also has a good future, for example in road and infrastructure construction. The heat gun, which can be heated up to 150°C, helps plastic heal cracks and scratches. Polymers are starting to be added to the road surface to improve many of its properties, from grip to durability, and VPR can help provide another solution: fast, high-quality repair.

Self-healing of scratches on the surface of the material under the influence of a heat gun

The scientists who created the new plastic began negotiations with manufacturers who might be interested in the new invention. “I have always thought that it is very difficult to recover and recycle existing plastics because their properties change depending on their use. Ando admits. “It would be ideal if we could solve many of the world’s problems with such a material.”