Polymeric foams derived from bio-based resources and capable of self-healing and recycling ability are of great demand to fulfill various applications and address environmental concerns related to accumulation of plastic wastes. In this article, we report a set of polyester based covalent adaptable biofoams (CABs) synthesized from carbohydrates and other bio-derived precursors under catalyst free conditions to offer a sustainable alternative to conventional toxic isocyanate based polyurethane foams. The dynamic β-keto carboxylate linkages present in these biofoams impart self-healing ability and recyclability to these samples. These CABs display adequate tensile properties especially compressive strength (≤123 MPa) and hysteresis behavior. The CABs swiftly stress relax at 150 °C and are reprocessable under similar temperature conditions. These biofoams have displayed potential for use as attachment on solar PVs to augment the output efficiency. These CABs with limited swellability in polar protic solvents and adequate mechanical resilience are suitable for other commodity applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Carbohydrate based plastics; Covalent adaptable Biofoam; Recyclability; Self‐healing polymers.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.