Reprocessable Elastomeric Networks Produced via Trimesic Acid‐Induced β‐Hydroxy Ester Crosslinking of Epoxidized Natural Rubber With Tunable Mechanical Properties

ABSTRACT

Trimesic acid (TMA) has been employed as a trifunctional crosslinker to develop dynamic epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) networks through zinc‐acetate‐catalyzed formation of β‐hydroxy ester linkages. Unlike conventional sulfur‐vulcanized networks, which are commonly described using simplified tetrafunctional junction models and often neglect the finite length of sulfur bridges between crosslinking points, TMA introduces a distinct trifunctional network architecture. Systematic variation of TMA content reveals a strong influence on network structure and molecular dynamics, with a small change in crosslinker concentration producing a remarkable shift in T _g of approximately 33°C, accompanied by significant changes in mechanical properties. The dynamic ester‐based network further enables efficient reprocessing with high retention of mechanical performance. These results demonstrate that crosslinker functionality and molecular architecture, rather than crosslink density alone, can critically govern the structure–property relationship of rubber networks, providing new experimental insight for developing theoretical descriptions of trifunctional elastomer networks.