Thermo-reversibly cross-linked biomass-plastic acting rewritable shape memory

Abstract

The article describes an intelligent biomass-plastic with a rewritable shape memory, which has advantages over petroleum-based plastics and will expand the use of biomass-plastics. A thermo-reversible bond between furan and maleimide was introduced into the molecular structure of polylactic acid (PLA). The bond acts like a thermo-switch, providing two normally incompatible characteristics, that is shape memory and recycling. When the thermo-switch is turned on at low temperature, the biomass-plastic acts complete shape memory. When the thermo-switch is turned off at high temperature for molding, the memory is easily erased, and the plastic becomes recyclable (i.e. rewritable)