Networks, polyurethane stress relaxation

Stress Relaxation Polyurethane networks were also polymerized in a mold with a cylindrical cavity. Uniform rings were cut from the cylinders and weighed. The cross sectional area was then derived from the sample diameter and polymer density and approximated 0.05 cm2. Stress relaxation was measured at several strains between 10 and 43% with an Instron tensile tester. During stress relaxation, the samples were immersed in dioxane and swelled to equilibrium. 

Figure 2. Stress relaxation of a swollen polyurethane network.

Values of Au qQ 3 calculated from stress relaxation of the swollen networks agreed fairly well with those derived from swelling of polyurethane networks. The anomalous behavior of polyurethanes has been reported (12). Swelling at different solvent activity and stress relaxation of swollen networks are valuable techniques for network characterization. Other networks such as crosslinked polystyrene will be examined by these methods. The role of the Gaussian approximation in rubber elasticity will be evaluated in calculating Mc for highly swollen networks. 

Polyurethane networks were prepared from polyoxypropylene (POP) triols(Union Carbide Niax Polyols) after removal of water by azeotropic distillation with benzene. For Niax LHT 240, the number-average molecular weight determined by VPO was 710 and the number-average functionality fn, calculated from Mjj and the content of OH groupSj determined by using excess phenyl isocyanate and titration of unreacted phenyl isocyanate with dibutylamine, was 2.78 the content of residual water was 0.02 wt.-%. For the Niax LG-56, 1 =2630, fn=2.78, and the content of H2O was 0.02wt.-%. The triols were reacted with recrystallized 4,4"-diphenylmethane diisocyanate in the presence of 0.002 wt.-% dibutyltin dilaurate under exclusion of moisture at 80 C for 7 days. The molar ratio r0H = [OH]/ [NCO] varied between 1.0 and 1.8. For dry samples, the stress-strain dependences were measured at 60 C in nitrogen atmosphere. The relaxation was sufficiently fast and no extrapolation to infinite time was necessary. 

Stress decay (relaxation) measurements of propellant binders are a way to obtain insight into the network structure of binder systems (29). In addition, high hysteretical losses appear to be associated with good tensile properties. Figure 5 shows a normalized stress-decay vs. time plot of a polyurethane elastomer. If the reference stress, [Pg.105]

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