Preparation of a lignin-based vitrimer material and its potential use for recoverable adhesives

A fully biobased vitrimer material with high lignin content is demonstrated. Ozone treated Kraft lignin is cured with sebacic acid epoxy to form bond-exchangeable crosslinked networks. The biobased vitrimer shows excellent shape memory and repairing properties at elevated temperatures. By taking advantage of these features, a promising recoverable adhesive is also demonstrated. This work introduces a simple and green method for the preparation of a fully biobased vitrimer material and demonstrates a potential application for recoverable adhesives.