Block architecture influence on the structure and mechanical performance of drawn polyurethane elastomers |
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Authors: | Borja Fernández‐d'Arlas Marian Corcuera James Runt Arantxa Eceiza |
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Affiliation: | 1. Grupo ‘Materiales + Tecnologías’ (GMT), Departamento de Ingeniería Química y del Medio Ambiente, Escuela Politécnica, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), , 20018 Donostia ? San Sebastián, Spain;2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, , PA, 16802 USA |
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Abstract: | Some natural biopolymers such as spider silk exhibit superb mechanical properties, characterised by their great toughness. Synthetic polyurethane (PU) copolymers also endow great toughness but lack silk's stiffness and strength. The aim of this work was to elucidate the role of segment block architectural features that influence PU stiffness and strength after cold drawing. For this purpose PUs with varied soft segment character, crystalline versus rubbery, as well as with different hard segment chemistries, 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate/1,4‐butanediol versus 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate/1,4‐butanediol, were synthesised by a two‐step polymerisation method. We found that the architecture of both block segments has a dramatic influence on drawn PU mechanical performance, in which PUs with crystallisable soft segments and crystalline hard segments are shown to have a greater impact on developing stiffer and stronger materials. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry |
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Keywords: | polyurethane elastomers block architecture copolymers supertough elastomers polyurethanes spider‐silk mimicry |
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