Thioctic Acid‐Derived Reversibly Cross‐Linked Plastics and Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Polymer Composites With High Mechanical Robustness and Excellent Chemical Recyclability

ABSTRACT Replacing petroleum‐derived monomers with bio‐based alternatives offers a promising route to reducing the environmental footprint of plastics. However, only a few polymeric materials designed in this way can selectively recover valuable petroleum‐derived segments. Herein, we report a novel strategy to construct petroleum/bio‐based hybrid plastics with high tensile strength and chemical recyclability, by cross‐linking thioctic acid and aromatic petroleum‐derived epoxy monomers through dynamic imine, disulfide, and hydrogen bonds, denoted as TAE. Benefiting from the reversibly cross‐linked network, TAE exhibits excellent mechanical properties (Young's modulus of ∼2.52 GPa, tensile strength of ∼82.1 MPa) and remarkable water stability. TAE was further combined with carbon fibers (CFs) to produce CF‐TAE composites with outstanding mechanical performance comparable to commercial CF‐epoxy thermoset composites. The dynamic imine bonds can be broken by immersing the TAE plastic sheets in a mixed solvent of a polar organic solvent and acidic solution, enabling the non‐destructive recovery of CFs and the petroleum‐derived monomer. Meanwhile, the residual bio‐based components can be safely discarded without environmental concerns. This work addresses critical challenges in the design of sustainable polymeric materials, providing a promising strategy toward next‐generation recyclable plastics and fiber‐reinforced composites.