Miscibility, free volume behavior and properties of blends from cellulose acetate and castor oil-based polyurethane

A series of blend films from cellulose acetate (CA) and castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) were prepared. Morphology, miscibility, free volume behavior and properties of such blend films were investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), infrared, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), thermogravimetric analysis and tensile test. The results indicated that lager free volume cavities did not form at the interface of two polymers although a certain degree of phase separation was found by the studies of SEM and DSC. Strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions at the interface, which was proved by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, favors even better molecular packing, that is, PU dispersed in CA continuous phase to form fine microphase separation domain in the CA-rich blends. Due to such special interactions in the fine microphase separation domain structure, optimized properties of tensile strength, breaking elongation and cold-resistivity were obtained in the blend film with 75 wt% CA. The toughness of all the blend films was significantly higher than that of the film CA, owing to the plasticizing of PU elastomer in the blends.