Healable Polymer Systems: Fundamentals, Synthesis and Applications

In the decade since the 1st Edition, healable polymeric materials have moved on from being a chemical curiosity to having useful applications across a broad range of fields. This 2nd Edition is fully revised with new sections on current and future applications in the following chapters: i) Reversible Covalent Bond Formation as a Strategy for Healable Polymer Networks; ii) Healable Supramolecular Polymeric Materials and iii) Encapsulation-based Self-healing Polymers and Composites. Polymers are used in many everyday technologies and their degradation due to environmental exposure has led to great interest in materials which can heal and repair themselves. In order to design new self healing polymers it's important to understand the fundamental healing mechanisms behind the material. Healable Polymer Systems outlines the key concepts and mechanisms underpinning the design and processing of healable polymers, and indicates potential directions for progress in the future development and applications of these fascinating and potentially valuable materials. Written by leading experts, the book provides polymer scientists with a compact and readily accessible source of reference for healable polymer systems.