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Colloquium: Dr. Subhan Salaeh, Natural Rubber-based Functional Materials: Chemical Modification, Crosslinking Strategies, and Sustainable Future Perspectives
ABSTRACT
Natural rubber (NR) is a widely used bio-based elastomer and an important renewable material for the rubber industry. Traditionally, NR has not been considered suitable for advanced functional and high-performance materials such as shape memory polymers (SMPs) and high-temperature thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). Recently, significant efforts have focused on modifying NR at both molecular and network levels to integrate its intrinsic properties with newly introduced functionalities. In particular, graft copolymerization has emerged as a versatile platform for tailoring NR structure and enhancing mechanical performance. This strategy also enables acrylate-NR to exhibit multi-responsive shape-memory effect. In addition, these strategies facilitate the development of high-performance NR-based TPEs with improved compatibility, refined morphology, and enhanced functional properties. These advancements have significantly broadened the scope of applications for NR-based functional materials
06.05.2026