Abstract
Alkylborane is a kind of the living radical polymerization initiators. Through oxidation of alkylborane in the air, it forms the dormant species at the end-group of polymer chains. We therefore investigated a restoration of fractured thermosetting polymer by alkylborane-dormant which had a re-polymerization function with monomer. When we spread the monomer on the fracture surfaces of the thermosetting polymer and put the pieces together with heating, the fractured parts were perfectly bonded each other recovering the original strength and thermostability. We estimated that the alkylborane in the fracture surfaces was oxidized through exposure to air to initiate polymerization of the monomer. Meanwhile, we applied the restoration process for thermosetting polymer with peroxide, but it didn’t show any adhesion to each other.
