Thermoplastic silicone elastomers as materials exhibiting high mechanical properties and/or self-healing propensity

Silicones are outstanding elastomers with e.g. great thermal properties and purity that make them important commercial materials. Current Research and Development aim at generating filler-free, non-cross-linked materials so that to bring to them transparency, reusability, and self-healing propensity. This mini review gives, first a short summary of conventional thermoplastic silicone elastomers genesis, and then some examples of current research in synthesis and processing of silicone-based physically cross-linked elastomers.Abbreviations: DSC: differential scanning calorimetry; FLD: filament deposing technique; HMDI: 4,4′-methylene bis(cyclohexylisocyanate); HS: hard segment; IPDI: isophorone diisocyanate; NMR: nuclear magnetic resonance; PDMS: polydimethylsiloxane; PEO: polyethylene oxide; PEU: polyethyleneoxide-based copolymers; PPO: polypropylene oxide; PSU: PDMS-based urea copolymers; SEC: size exclusion chromatorgraphy; SS: soft segment; Tg: glass transition; TGA: thermal gravimetric analysis; THF: tetrahydrofuran; TPS: thermoplastic silicone elastomer; TMXDI: tetramethylxylene diisocyanate; TPU: thermoplastic urethane