Kinetics of formation of polyurethane/polymethylmethacrylate grafted semi-interpenetrating polymer networks based on the functional prepolymers

Summary. The kinetics of formation of the polyurethane network by crosslinking the polyurethane prepolymer in polyurethane/polymethacrylate grafted semi-interpenetrating networks (semi-IPN) was monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the kinetic parameters were thus determined. It was found that carboxylic groups in the hard segments of the Pu component substantially decrease the reaction rate and increase the activation energy. Tertiary amine groups in the PM component catalyse the crosslinking reaction. The PM component acts as a diluent in the mixture of PU and PM reducing the reaction rate and increasing the activation energy of the corsslinking reaction. At temperatures below the T_g of the PM component, the reaction of formation of IPN becomes diffusion controlled. Received: 2 May 1997/Revised: 11 July 1997/Accepted: 16 July 1997