Poly(dimethylsiloxane)/poly(hexamethylene oxide) mixed macrodiol based polyurethane elastomers. I. Synthesis and properties

The compatibilizing effect of poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO) on the synthesis of polyurethanes based on α,ω‐bis(6‐hydroxyethoxypropyl) poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was investigated. The hard segments of the polyurethanes were based on 4,4′‐methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4‐butanediol. The effects of the PDMS/PHMO composition, method of polyurethane synthesis, hard segment weight percentage, catalyst, and molecular weight of the PDMS on polyurethane synthesis, properties, and morphology were investigated using size exclusion chromatography, tensile testing, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The large difference in the solubility parameters between PDMS and conventional reagents used in polyurethane synthesis was found to be the main problem associated with preparing PDMS‐based polyurethanes with good mechanical properties. Incorporation of a polyether macrodiol such as PHMO improved the compatibility and yielded polyurethanes with significantly improved mechanical properties and processability. The optimum PDMS/PHMO composition was 80 : 20 (w/w), which yielded a polyurethane with properties comparable to those of the commercial material Pellethane™ 2363‐80A. The one‐step polymerization was sensitive to the hard segment weight percentage of the polyurethane and was limited to materials with about a 40 wt % hard segment; higher concentrations yielded materials with poor mechanical properties. A catalyst was essential for the one‐step process and tetracoordinated tin catalysts (e.g., dibutyltin dilaurate) were the most effective. Two‐step bulk polymerization overcame most of the problems associated with reactant immiscibility by the end capping of the macrodiol and required no catalysts. The DSC results demonstrated that in cases where poor properties were observed, the corresponding polyurethanes were highly phase separated and the hard segments formed were generally longer than the average expected length based on the reactant stoichiometry. Based on these results, we postulated that at low levels (∼ 20 wt %) the soft segment component derived from PHMO macrodiol was concentrated mainly in the interfacial regions, strengthening the adhesion between hard and soft domains of PDMS‐based polyurethanes. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 76: 2026–2040, 2000     

Effect of chain extender structure on the properties and morphology of polyurethanes based on H12MDI and mixed macrodiols (PDMS–PHMO)

The effect of chain extender structure on properties and morphology of α,ω‐bis(6‐hydroxyethoxypropyl) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO) mixed macrodiol‐based aliphatic polyurethane elastomers was investigated using tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). All polyurethanes were based on 50 wt % of hard segment derived from 4,4′‐methylenecyclohexyl diisocyanate (H₁₂MDI) and a chain extender mixture. 1,4‐Butanediol was the primary chain extender, while one of 1,3‐bis(4‐hydroxybutyl)tetramethyldisiloxane (BHTD), 1,3‐bis(3‐hydroxypropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane (BPTD), hydroquinonebis(2‐hydroxyethyl)ether (HQHE), 1,3‐bis(3‐hydroxypropyl)tetramethyldisilylethylene (HTDE), or 2,2,3,3,4,4‐hexafluoro‐1,5‐pentanediol (HFPD) each was used as a secondary chain extender. Two series of polyurethanes containing 80 : 20 (Series A) and 60 : 40 (Series B) molar ratios of primary and secondary chain extenders were prepared using one‐step bulk polymerization. All polyurethanes were clear and transparent and had number‐average molecular weights between 56,000 and 122,100. Incorporation of the secondary chain extender resulted in polyurethanes with low flexural modulus and high elongation. Good ultimate tensile strength was achieved in most cases. DSC and DMTA analyses showed that the incorporation of a secondary chain extender disrupted the hard segment order in all cases. The highest disruption was observed with HFPD, while the silicon‐based chain extenders gave less disruption, particularly in Series A. Further, the silicon chain extenders improved the compatibility of the PDMS soft segment phase with the hard segment, whereas with HFPD and HQHE, this was not observed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 2979–2989, 1999     

Effects on properties of varying the cis/trans isomer distribution in polyurethane elastomers made with 1,4-cyclohexane diisocyanate

Polyurethane elastomers have been made using 1,4-cyclohexane diisocyanate (CHDI), 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and a 2000 M_n polyether diol soft segment. The cis/trans isomer distribution of the CHDI was varied between 23% and 100% trans. This variation in isomer distribution had significant effects on the polyurethane's thermal and physical properties. Decreasidng the trans CHDI content gives polyurethanes with lower hardness, lower thermal stability, higher Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expension (C.L.T.E.) values and decreased modulus values. Morphology studies showed good phase separation between the hard and soft segment blocks as well as a block copolymer morphology between the cis and trans CHDI/BDO blocks in the hard segment. The polyurethanes made were compared to polyurethanes made with MDI and H₁₂MDI, the leading aromatic and aliphatic diisocyanates respectively.     

Influence of soft segment composition on phase-separated microstructure of polydimethylsiloxane-based segmented polyurethane copolymers

Segmented polyurethane block copolymers were synthesized using 4,4′-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) as hard segments and various soft segments derived from poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based macrodiols and mixtures thereof. The microstructure and degrees of phase separation were characterized using a variety of experimental methods. Copolymers synthesized with the PDMS macrodiol and from PDMS/PHMO macrodiol mixtures were found to consist of three phases: a PDMS phase; hard domains; and a mixed phase of PHMO, PDMS ether end group segments and some dissolved hard segments. Two models were used to characterize the small-angle X-ray scattering from these copolymers: pseudo two-phase and core-shell models. Analysis using both methods demonstrates that as the PDMS content in the soft segment mixture increases, the greater the fraction of hard segments involved in hard domains than are dissolved in the mixed phase. Findings from analysis of the carbonyl region of FTIR spectra are also in agreement with greater hard/soft segment demixing in copolymers containing higher PDMS contents.     

Mixed macrodiol‐based siloxane polyurethanes: Effect of the comacrodiol structure on properties and morphology

Two series of polyurethanes were prepared to investigate the effect of comacrodiol structure on properties and morphology of polyurethanes based on the siloxane macrodiol, α,ω‐bis(6‐hydroxyethoxypropyl) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). All polyurethanes contained a 40 wt % hard segment derived from 4,4′‐methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4‐butanediol (BDO), and were prepared by a two‐step, uncatalyzed bulk polymerization. The soft segments were based on an 80/20 mixture of PDMS (MW 967) and a comacrodiol (MW 700), selected from a series of polyethers and polycarbonates. The polyether series included poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO), poly(hexamethylene oxide), and poly(decamethylene oxide) (PDMO), whereas the polycarbonate series included poly (hexamethylene carbonate) diol (PHCD), poly [bis(4‐hydroxybutyl)‐tetramethyldisiloxy carbonate] diol (PSCD), and poly [hexamethylene‐co‐bis(4‐hydroxybutyl)‐tetramethyldisiloxy carbonate] diol (COPD). Polyurethanes were characterized by size exclusion chromatography, tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The results clearly demonstrated that the structure of the comacrodiol influenced the properties and morphology of siloxane‐based polyurethanes. All comacrodiols, except PEO, improved the UTS of the polyurethane; PHMO and PTMO were the best polyether comacrodiols, while PSCD was the best polycarbonate comacrodiol. Incorporation of the comacrodiol made polyurethanes more elastomeric with low modulus, but the effect was less significant with polycarbonate comacrodiols. DSC and DMTA results strongly supported that the major morphological change associated with incorporation of a comacrodiol was the significant increase in the interfacial regions, largely through the compatibilization with the hard segment. The extent of compatibilization varied with the comacrodiol structure; hydrophilic polyethers such as PEO were the most compatible, and consequently, had poor mechanical strength. Among the polyethers, PHMO was the best, having an appropriate level of compatibility with the hard segment for substantial improvement in mechanical properties. Siloxy carbonate comacrodiol PSCD was the best among the polycarbonates. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 1071–1082, 2000     

Synthesis and characterization of a series of poly(alkylene carbonate) macrodiols and the effect of their structure on the properties of polyurethanes

A series of polycarbonate and copolycarbonate macrodiols was prepared by using an ester interchange reaction with ethylene carbonate and diols such as 1,6-hexanediol, 1,10-decanediol, 2,2-diethyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, and 1,3-bis(4-hydroxybutyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane. The diols were chosen to prepare a series of macrodiols with different structural features including linear, branched, rigid, and flexible. The macrodiols were characterized by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and DSC. The commercial macrodiol based on 1,6-hexanediol exhibited a high level of crystallinity, while with the exception of 1,10-decanediol–based copolycarbonates all the others were completely amorphous. 1,10-Decanediol–based materials showed partial crystallinity under subambient conditions. A series of polyurethane elastomers with a constant hard segment percentage (40 wt %) was prepared using 4,4′-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol as the hard segment. Tensile test results and Shore hardness measurements demonstrated that polyurethanes based on polycarbonate macrodiols prepared from 1,3-bis(4-hydroxybutyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane had the lowest modulus and hardness of the series of polyurethanes. The remaining polyurethanes had high tensile strength with poor elasticity. The morphology of the polyurethanes, as determined by DSC analysis, varied from completely phase-mixed to well phase-separated structures. Polyurethanes based on macrodiols prepared from 1,3-bis(4-hydroxybutyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane showed good phase-separated morphology, with sharp hard segment melting endotherms and soft segment glass transitions close to that of the pure soft segment. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1621–1633, 1998     

Properties of polyisobutylene polyurethane block copolymers: 3. Hard segments based on 4,4′-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H12MDI) and butane diol

A series of polyisobutylene (PIB) polyurethanes based on 4,4′-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H₁₂MDI) have been synthesized and their structure-property relationships have been investigated. The PIB glycol was synthesized by the ‘inifer’ technique. Sample compositions were designed for independent investigation of the effects on physical properties of hard segment content and soft segment molecular weight and for comparison with corresponding 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) based PIB polyurethanes. Increasing hard segment content resulted in improved dynamic and tensile modulus while elongation at break was unaffected. Increasing soft segment molecular weight led to decreased mechanical properties attributed to larger domain sizes as indicated by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Both the soft segment T_g and the extent of interfacial mixing as measured by SAXS were unaffected by hard segment content and soft segment molecular weight suggesting that the materials were highly phase separated. In comparison with corresponding MDI based materials the H₁₂MDI based polyurethanes exhibited less hard segment ordering, slightly less interfacial mixing, smaller domain sizes, and slightly better ultimate tensile properties.     

Effect of soft-segment CH2/O ratio on morphology and properties of a series of polyurethane elastomers

A series of six thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers were synthesized from a 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) chain extender, with poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO), poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO), poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO), poly(octamethylene oxide) (POMO), poly(decamethylene oxide) (PDMO), and poly(1,6-hexyl carbonate)diol (PCDO) macrodiol soft segments. The soft-segment molecular weights employed were similar (approximately 1000 g/mol) and each polyurethane contained 55% (w/w) of the soft-segment macrodiol. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques were employed to characterize the morphology. Tensile and Shore hardness tests were also performed. Materials were tested in the as-molded, solvent-cast, and annealed states. It was found that the polyurethanes produced from macrodiols with the highest CH₂/O ratio displayed greater hard-domain crystallinity, a higher degree of phase separation, and the greatest hardness, stiffness, and opacity. POMO- and PDMO-based polymers displayed evidence of paracrystallinity in the soft domains. The PCDO-based material displayed a higher degree of phase mixing compared to the polyether-based materials. Annealing increased hard-domain crystallinity in all the polyether-based materials. The solvent-cast POMO- and PDMO-based materials had poor mechanical properties and were difficult to cast. The materials containing macrodiols with the lowest CH₂/O ratio were more readily solvent-cost and produced strong, useful films. Morphologies of the solvent-cast materials differed greatly from those of the molded materials. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Low‐modulus siloxane‐based polyurethanes. I. Effect of the chain extender 1,3‐bis(4‐hydroxybutyl)1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (BHTD) on properties and morphology

A series of eight polyurethane elastomers was prepared using a two‐step bulk polymerization procedure to investigate the effect of the siloxane chain extender 1,3‐bis(4‐hydroxybutyl)1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (BHTD) on polyurethane properties and morphology. All polyurethanes were based on 40 wt % hard segment derived from 4,4′‐methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and a mixture of 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) and BHTD in varying molar ratios. The soft segment was based on an 80 : 20 (w/w) mixture of the macrodiols α,ω‐bis(6‐hydroxyethoxypropyl)polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, MW 965) and poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO, MW 714). Polyurethanes were characterized by size‐exclusion chromatography, tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and FTIR spectroscopy. Clear and transparent polymers were produced in all cases with number‐average molecular weights in the range of 90,000 to 111,000. The ultimate tensile strength decreased only slightly (15%), but Young's modulus and flexural modulus decreased by 76 and 72%, respectively, compared with that of the pure BDO extended polyurethanes as the amount of BHTD was increased to 40 mol %. This change resulted in “softer” and more elastic polyurethanes. Polyurethanes with BHTD contents above 40 mol % were more elastic but had poor tensile and tear strengths. A 60 : 40 molar ratio of BDO : BHTD produced a “soft” polyurethane, which combined good tensile strength and flexibility. The DSC and DMTA results confirmed that the incorporation of BHTD as part of the hard segment yielded polyurethanes with improved compatibility between hard and soft segments. IR data indicated that the amount of hard segments soluble in the soft‐segment phase increased with increasing BHTD, contributing to the improved phase mixing. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 736–746, 2002     

The influence of composition ratio on the morphology of biomedical polyurethanes

Two series of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers were synthesized from 4,4′‐methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) chain extender, and each of poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) and poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO) macrodiols. The PTMO and PHMO molecular weights were kept constant at 993 and 852 g/mol, respectively. In the PTMO‐based series, the composition ratio was varied between 48 and 58% (w/w) of macrodiol; 2 commercially available PTMO‐based polymers were also included. These were Pellethane 2363 80A® and its harder counterpart, Pellethane 2363 55D®. In the PHMO‐based series, the composition ratio was varied between 50 and 60% (w/w) of macrodiol. The materials were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS). Mechanical performance was also assessed by tensile testing, stress hysteresis, and hardness testing. Altering the composition ratio had a similar effect on morphology and properties for both the PTMO and PHMO‐based series. An increase in hard segment content was associated with increased hard microdomain crystallinity, hardness, and stiffness. In both series, he beginning of hard microdomain interconnectivity was observed at a composition ratio of 52% soft segment. That is to say, for the processing and annealing conditions employed, macrodiol contents of 52% and below began to produce continuous, rather than discrete, hard microdomains. Pellethane 80A® was shown to have a discrete hard microdomain morphology, while Pellethane 55D® was shown to incorporate interconnecting hard microdomains. It is suggested that the superior biostability performance of Pellethane 55D relative to Pellethane 80A may be related to its interconnecting hard microdomain texture. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 937–952, 1999     

Properties of crosslinked polyurethanes synthesized from 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate and polyester polyol

Polyurethanes were synthesized using the high functional 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), polyester polyol, and 1,4‐butane diol. The synthesized polyurethanes were analyzed using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, and swelling measurement using N,N′‐dimethylformamide. From the result of thermal analysis by DSC and DMTA, single T_gs were observed in the polyurethane samples at all the formulated compositions. From this result, it is suggested that the polyurethanes synthesized in this study have crosslinked structure rather than the phase‐separated segmented structure because of the high functionality (f = 2.9) of the MDI. By annealing the polyurethane samples using DSC, the T_gs were increased by 4.7∼16.0°C at the various annealing temperatures. From the results of FTIR and swelling measurement of polyurethanes, it is suggested that the increase of T_g of the polyurethanes by annealing is not due to increase of the hydrogen bond strength but mainly due to the increase of the crosslink density. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 624–630, 2000     

The effect of average soft segment length on morphology and properties of a series of polyurethane elastomers. II. SAXS-DSC annealing study

A series of eight thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers were synthesized from 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) chain extender, with poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO) macrodiol soft segments. The PHMO molecular weights employed ranged from 433 g/mol to 1180 g/mol. All materials contained 60% (w/w) of the macrodiol. The materials were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) following up to nine different thermal treatments. In addition, three of the materials were selected for characterization by small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) following similar thermal treatments. The DSC experiments showed the existence of five hard segment melting regions (labelled T1-T5), which were postulated to result from the disordering or melting of sequences containing one to five MDI-derived units, respectively. Evidence for urethane linkage dissociation and reassociation during annealing at temperatures above 150°C is presented. This process aids in the formation of higher melting structures. Annealing temperatures of 80–100°C provided the maximum SAXS scattering intensity values. Materials containing longer soft segments (and, therefore, longer hard segments) were observed to develop and sustain higher melting hard domain structures and also develop maximum average interdomain spacing values at higher annealing temperatures. Another additional series of three PHMO-based polyurethanes having narrower hard segment length distributions, was synthesized and characterized by DSC in the as-synthesized and annealed states. The resulting DSC endotherms provided further evidence to suggest that the T1-T5 endotherms were possibly due to melting of various hard segment length populations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 803–817, 1997     

Polyurethanes with monodisperse rigid segments based on a diamine–diamide chain extender

Polyether(bisurethane‐bisurea‐bisamide)s (PEUUA) based on poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) were synthesized by chain extension of PTMO endcapped with a diisocyanate (DI), and a diamine–diamide extender. The prepolymers were PTMOs with molecular weights between 1270 and 2200 g mol^?1, either endcapped with 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 2,4‐toluene diisocyanate (2,4‐TDI), or 1,6‐hexane diisocyante (HDI) and with a low content of free diisocyanate (<0.1 wt %). The diamine–diamide (6A6) extender was based on hexamethylene diamine (6) and adipic acid (A). In this way, segmented polyurethanes with monodisperse rigid segments (DI‐6A6‐DI) were obtained. The PEUUAs were characterized by DSC as well as temperature‐dependent FTIR and DMTA. The mechanical properties of the polymers were evaluated by compression set and tensile test measurements. The polyurethanes with monodisperse rigid segments displayed low glass transition temperatures, almost temperature‐independent rubbery plateaus and sharp melting temperatures. The crystallinities of the hard segments were 70–80% upon heating and 40–60% upon cooling. The rate of crystallization was moderately fast as the supercooling (T_m ? T_c) was in the order 36–54°C. The polyurethanes based on HDI had a much higher rubber modulus as compared to the MDI and 2,4‐TDI‐based polymers, because of a higher degree of crystallinity and/or a higher aspect ratio of the crystallites. The HDI residues are flexible and not sterically hindered and could therefore be more easily packed than MDI or 2,4‐TDI residues. Polyurethanes with monodisperse DI‐6A6‐DI hard segments have interesting properties. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Polyurethane elastomers with low modulus and hardness based on novel copolyether macrodiols

A series of copolyether macrodiols was prepared from either 1,10-decanediol or 1,6-hexanediol, by acid-catalyzed condensation polymerization using several comonomers to investigate the effect of copolymerization on reducing macrodiol crystallinity. The comonomers used to disrupt crystallinity included 2,2-diethyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, and 1,7-heptanediol. The product copolyethers were identified as hydroxy terminated copoly(alkylene oxides) by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. Based on NMR results, the structures of the copolyethers were established as consisting of blocks of the principal monomer with comonomer 2,2-diethyl-1,3-propanediol incorporated to form only the end structural unit, whereas 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol incorporated to form the end unit as well as part of the main chain. DSC results confirmed that the copolymerization produced macrodiols with lower crystallinity and lower T_g than those of the corresponding homopolyethers of the principal monomers, with two exceptions. The exceptions were 1,6-hexanediol/1,10-decanediol, and 1,10-decanediol/1,7-heptanediol copolyethers where no reduction in crystallinity was observed. A series of polyurethane elastomers with a constant hard segment percentage (40 wt %) was prepared using 4,4′-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol as the hard segment. Tensile test results and Shore hardness measurements demonstrated that copolyether macrodiols produced several polyurethanes with lower modulus and hardness than those of polyurethanes based on homopolyethers of the principal monomers. Of the comonomers studied, 2,2-diethyl-1,3-propanediol-based copolyether produced the polyurethane with the lowest hardness and modulus. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 1373–1384, 1997     

Low‐modulus siloxane–polyurethanes. Part II. Effect of chain extender structure on properties and morphology

A series of six polyurethanes were prepared to study the effect of silicon chain extender structure on properties and morphology of siloxane–polyurethanes. Polyurethanes were prepared by a two‐step bulk polymerization without a catalyst. The soft segment of the polyurethanes was based on an 80:20 (w/w) mixture of α,ω‐bis(6‐hydroxyethoxypropyl) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, MW 966) and poly(hexamethylene) oxide (MW 714). The hard segment was based on 4,4′‐methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and a 60:40 molar mixture of 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) and a silicon chain extender. Silicon chain extenders (SCE) investigated were 1,3‐bis(4‐hydroxybutyl)1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (BHTD), 1,3‐bis(3‐hydroxypropyl)1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (BPTD), 1,4‐bis(3‐hydroxypropyl)1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisilylethylene (HTDE), 1,3‐bis(6‐hydroxyethoxypropyl)1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (BETD). All polyurethanes were clear and transparent with number average molecular weights between 72,000 to 116,000. Incorporation of the silicon chain extender resulted in polyurethanes with low‐modulus and high elongation. This was achieved without significant compromise in ultimate tensile strength in all cases, except BETD. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed that the silicon chain extenders did not significantly disrupt the hard segment crystallinity, but exhibited a unique morphological feature where SCE‐based hard segments formed separate domains, which may be the primary reason for achieving low modulus without significant compromise in strength. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 1092–1100, 2003     

Microdomain composition and properties differences of biodegradable polyurethanes based on MDI and HDI

The study of the effect of the diisocyanate structure on the microstructure and macroscopic properties of polyurethanes was the main aim of this work. Biodegradable segmented thermoplastic elastomeric polyurethanes based on a poly(hexamethylene carbonate‐co‐caprolactone)diol (PHM‐co‐PCL) as soft segment were synthesized using 1,4‐butanediol (BD) as chain extender and both 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as components of the hard segment by the two shoot synthesis procedure. Microphase structure and properties were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as complementary techniques, used to characterize thermal transitions of the polyurethanes and to assign them to determinate functional groups interactions. Gaussian deconvolution technique was used to decompose carbonyl region in four peaks and to study the hydrogen bonding within the different polyurethanes. Both DSC and FTIR showed that MDI‐based biodegradable polyurethanes were less phase segregated than to those based on HDI, and thus that diisocyanate structure has an important role on microdomain composition and polyurethanes properties. Macroscopic properties as hardness and water‐polymer contact angles are related to polyurethanes microphase compositions. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

MDI异构体对聚氨酯弹性体微观结构和性能的影响

以聚氧化丙烯二醇(DL-2000)为软段,不同2,4′-异构体含量的二苯基甲烷二异氰酸酯(MDI)和1,4-丁二醇(BDO)为硬段,采用预聚法合成了不同异构体含量的MDI型聚氨酯弹性体。采用FT-IR、DSC和DMA等分析手段对其结构和性能进行了表征。结果表明,随着2,4′-MDI异构体含量的增加,硬段间的氢键结合化程度降低,硬段区聚集结晶的能力也不断下降,硬段趋于均匀分散在连续相软段区中,两相相容性增加,聚氨酯弹性体的T和tanδ大幅度提高。     

Influence of diisocyanate,glycidol and polyol molar ratios on the mechanical and thermal properties of glycidyl‐terminated biobased polyurethanes

A series of epoxy‐terminated polyurethanes (EPUs) were synthesized from castor oil, 4,4′‐methylenebis(cyclohexyl isocyanate) (H₁₂MDI) and 2,3‐epoxy‐1‐propanol (glycidol) by changing the molar ratio of H₁₂MDI to glycidol to polyol. Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR and solid‐state CP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopic analyses revealed the presence of epoxy linkages within the polyurethane backbone. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that EPU4 with a polyol:diisocyanate:glycidol molar ratio of 1:6:6 exhibited an initial decomposition temperature of 128 °C, which was 26 °C higher than that of EPU1 (1:3:3 molar ratio). Differential scanning calorimetry showed an upward shift in the glass transition temperature with increasing molar ratio. Mechanical analysis demonstrated that the tensile modulus of EPU4 was 7.8 times greater than that of EPU1. The crosslinking densities of EPUs were determined using swelling studies which revealed a gradual increase in crosslinking density with increasing epoxy content within the polyurethane. The morphologies of cryo‐fractured surfaces of EPUs were determined through scanning electron microscopy to analyse the phase dispersion of epoxy and polyurethane. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Physical properties of crosslinked polyurethane

Polyester based polyurethanes were synthesized from low molecular weight polyester (M_n 2000) and 4,4′-methylene bis(phenyl isocyanate) (MDI) with butanediol as a chain extender and glycerol as a crosslinker. The polyester was synthesized from adipic acid and glycol which was a mixture of 1,6-hexanediol and 1,2-propanediol. The effect of the crosslinker content on the degree of H-bond formation in the hard segments and the physical properties of polyurethanes were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal mechanical analysis (TMA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and mechanical testing. The experimental results revealed that incorporation of a triol crosslinker into the hard segments of polyurethane results in a decrease of hard segment H-bond formation. The mechanical data indicate that the mechanical properties of polyurethanes depend on the concentrations of physical and chemical crosslinks and that there is an optimum concentration of triol crosslinker for the tensile stress and elongation properties. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Molecular mobility and hydration properties of segmented polyurethanes with varying structure of soft‐ and hard‐chain segments

The molecular mobility and hydration properties of model segmented polyurethanes from either poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) or poly(butylene adipate) (PBAD), both of molecular weight 2000 (soft segments), and three different diisocyanates (all‐trans 4,4′‐dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, 100% t,t HMDI; HMDI with 20% of trans isomers, 20% t,t HMDI; and 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, MDI) (hard segments) were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDC) measurements, ac dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (ac DRS), equilibrium water‐sorption isotherms (ESI), and dynamic water‐sorption isotherms (DSI). No effects of the structure and of the amount of the soft segments on the overall degree of microphase separation (DMS) into microphases rich in soft and hard segments, respectively, were observed. On the contrary, DMS depends on the composition of the diisocyanates used and systematically increases in the order MDI, 20% t,t HMDI, 100% t,t HMDI as indicated by DSC, TSDC, and ac DRS. The PPG‐based polyurethanes are characterized by larger values of water content at saturation, h, and smaller values of the diffusion coefficient of water, D. h increases with temperature, indicating that the sorption process is endothermic. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 1209–1221, 1999