REWORKABLE CROSSLINKED POLYTHIOURETHANES WITH INTRINSIC INJECTABILITY, REPAIRABILITY AND RECYCLABILITY

The injectable, reprocessable and recyclable polymer network comprises a) units of formula (I), wherein R2 is a radical selected from the group consisting of radicals of formula (I I), and (I I I), and R1 is a radical selected from the group consisting of: -H, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C5-C14)aryl, -OR3, -(CO)R4, -O(CO)R5, -(SO)R6, -NH-CO-R7, -COOR8, -S-CO-NH-R9, -NR10R11, -NO2, -SH and halogen; P is a polymeric chain, "m" is an integer selected from 3 and 4; "n" is an integer selected from 1 and 2; provided that "n" + "m" is 5; and b) a catalyst compound leading to the formation of a thiourethane bond, the catalyst being selected from a metal catalyst and a catalyst compound having a boiling temperature equal or higher than 100 °C when measured at atmospheric pressure. The present invention also provides processes for its preparation. The polymer network of the invention is thermoreversible, changing from solid to liquid, and again to solid, without negatively being affected its properties of injectability, reprocessability and recyclability. Formula (I).