Structure-property relationships of poly(urethane-urea)s with ultralow monol content poly(propylene glycol) soft segments. III. Influence of mixed soft segments of ultralow monol poly(propylene glycol), poly(tetramethylene ether glycol), and tri(prop

摘要

Recent advances in the catalyst technology associated with the production of poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) have allowed for the fabrication of ultralow monol content PPG macrodiols (Acclaim(TM) polyols), which are highly bifunctional and can be produced in substantially higher molecular weights and with narrower molecular weight distributions than previously possible. These factors have enabled the preparation of higher value elastomers and may allow for the first manufacture of economically attractive PPG-based poly(urethane-urea) (PUU) fibers. In the past, many performance polyurethane and PUU elastomers used poly(tetramethylene ether glycol) (PTMEG) for the soft segments either alone or in combination with other macrodiols. The work presented here details the investigation of the morphological features of PUU systems with mixed soft segments of PPG, PTMEG, and a low molecular analog of PPG, tri(propylene glycol) (TPG) in an effort to ascertain the influence of structural features on the mechanical and thermal properties of the elastomers. Also of interest was whether the incorporation of PPG and TPG would either prohibit or greatly hinder the formation of strain-induced PTMEG crystallites. It was found that, even when only 60 wt % of the soft segments consisted of PTMEG, those soft segments were still able to undergo recognizable strain-induced crystallization as detected by wide-angle X-ray scattering. It was also seen that, as the ratio of PPG to PTMEG was varied, there were systematic changes in the soft segment glass transition and cold crystallization characteristics. Inclusion of PPG and TPG resulted in PTMEG's diminished ability to undergo cold and strain-induced crystallization, as seen with differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray scattering. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [References: 23]