Polyurethanes chain extension

Water-borne adhesives are preferred because of restrictions on the use of solvents. Low viscosity prepolymers are emulsified in water, followed by chain extension with water-soluble glycols or diamines. As cross-linker PMDI can be used, which has a shelf life of 5 to 6 h in water. Water-borne polyurethane coatings are used for vacuum forming of PVC sheeting to ABS shells in automotive interior door panels, for the lamination of ABS/PVC film to treated polypropylene foam for use in automotive instmment panels, as metal primers for steering wheels, in flexible packaging lamination, as shoe sole adhesive, and as tie coats for polyurethane-coated fabrics. PMDI is also used as a binder for reconstituted wood products and as a foundry core binder. 

This process is based on the very high reactivity of the isocyanate group toward hydrogen present ia hydroxyl groups, amines, water, etc, so that the chain extension reaction can proceed to 90% yield or better. Thus when a linear polymer is formed by chain extension of a polyester or polyether of molecular weight 1000—3000, the final polyurethane may have a molecular weight of 100,000 or higher (see Urethane polymers). 

In addition to linear chain extension, excess diisocyanate leads to cross-linking iato a network because the diisocyanate groups can also react with the hydrogen atoms of the —NH— groups ia the chains. Furthermore, the weU-known polyurethane foam mbber can be made by a dding water to the mixture because the isocyanate groups react vigorously with water to Hberate carbon dioxide gas as follows ... 

In a second step, the prepolymer was then reacted with a low molecular weight difunctional alcohol, commonly referred to as a diol or a diamine, to connect the prepolymer oligomers into a high molecular weight polyurethane. This step was referred to as the chain extension , resulting in the use of the term chain extenders to describe the low molecular weight diols or diamines that reacted with the prepolymer oligomers. 

The chain extension step may then take place in the water phase. Hydrazine and ethylene diamine are commonly used chain extenders for waterborne urethane dispersions. The isocyanates react with the diamine chain extenders much faster than with the water, thus forming polyurea linkages and building a high molecular weight polymer. More detailed information regarding the synthesis and process of making waterborne polyurethane dispersions is found in Dieterich s review article [58]. 

We create polyurethanes from prepolymers by chain extension. In the case of hydroxyl-terminated prepolymers the chain extender is an isocyanate. If we use a diisocyanate, the resulting polymer is linear. If we substitute some or all of the diisocyanate with a tri- or... 

According to O. Bayer, the latter procedure, which is used especially for the preparation of elastomeric polyurethanes, is carried out in two separate stages. First, a carefully dried, relatively low-molecular-weight, aliphatic polyester or polyether with hydroxy end groups is reacted with an excess of diisocyanate. A chain extension reaction occurs in which two to three linear diol molecules are coupled with diisocyanate, so as to yield a linear polymer with some in-chain urethane groups and with isocyanate end groups. 

Only one of the approaches considered here, chain-extension with propylene oxide of hydroxypropyl lignins, allowed for the preparation of networks with substantial elongation at break. Typical of most polyurethanes, an increase in the elongation at break resulted in a corresponding decrease in modulus and strength. This represents the most complex modification procedure of those discussed, although process development could probably simplify this modification for adoption on industrial scale. 

In unfilled rubbers, which are not capable of strain-induced crystallization, the upturns on Mooney-Rivlin curves have shown to be absent 92 95). They disappear also in crystallizable rubbers at elevated temperatures and in the presence of solvents. On the other hand, the upturns do not appear for butadiene, nitrile and polyurethane rubbers if the limited chain extensibility function is introduced in the Mooney-Rivlin expression 97). Mark 92) has concluded that in the absence of selfreinforcement due to strain-induced crystallization or domains the rupture of the networks occurs long before the limited chain extensibility can be reached. 

In a recent patent, Reuter (110) describes a polyurethane prepared from PTHF (mol. wt. 1000 to 3000), 1,4-butanediol, and OCN(CH2)6CN0. In another case Murbach and Adicoff (67) interrupted the regularity of PTHF by copolymerization with ethylene oxide before chain extension with diphenyl-methane-4,4 -disiocyanate. Dickinson (99) prepared a series of polyurethane elastomers from THF-PO copolymer diols and 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate. He found that the use of copolymers with approximately 75 wt.-% THF led to polyurethanes with very good properties relative to the use of propylene oxide homopolymer. 

The major problem is moisture that is absorbed into the polyurethane system or into the curative and auxiliary materials. Free water will liberate carbon dioxide when the chain extension is carried out. It is important to keep the reactants dry, as any moisture that may have come in contact with the prepolymer will react to give an amine and carbon dioxide. This amine reacts with more isocyanates to form a disubstituted diamine. The reaction is outlined in Figure 2.9. 

Catalysts speed up certain reactions in the chain extension of polyurethanes. The catalysts used are those made by specialty suppliers for the polymer industry and include a range of amines and metal salts. 

Chain extension/cross-linking to complete production of polyurethane One-Shot Systems... 

The best physical properties are obtained with polyethylene adipate as the backbone. After the manufacture of the prepolymer with the polyethylene adipate and NDI, the polyurethane was completed with the addition of BDO. The use of diamines gave too fast a reaction for successful processing. Water and glycols also were used for cross-linking. Glycols do not give the C02 gas the water chain extension does. 

Following the early developments using NDI, it was found that by using TDI instead, a far more stable prepolymer could be made. Stable prepolymers are normally made using either polyesters or polyethers that have been reacted with a slight excess of a diisocyanate such as toluene diisocyanate (TDI) or methylene diisocyanate (MDI). Provided the storage is moisture free, the stable prepolymer may be kept for months before use. The polyurethane is prepared by chain extension with diols or diamines. 

Thermoplastic polyurethanes are normally processed in conventional plastic machines and when heated to above 120 to 150°C will soften and can be processed. By definition, this process can be repeated over and over. The TPU is supplied as a polymer chain extended to a suitable length with terminal groups that do not allow any further chain extension. 

The prepolymer as received from the manufacturer has a simple chain that has been terminated with an isocyanate. The isocyanate ends with this magical NCO group. The NCO is the reactive part of it. The higher the percentage of NCO in the prepolymer, the harder the material will be. An 80 Shore A will have an NCO of approximately 3.1 to 3.2%, whereas a 75 Shore D will have an NCO content of about 11.2%. To obtain the chain extension, one must add an appropriate amount of an amine or diol curative. For every curative, there is a different amount that must be added. The manufacturers of the prepolymers and curatives will give the appropriate factors for mixing the polyurethane. The prepolymer must be heated before use. This is to reduce the viscosity of the material as well as to obtain the correct cure rate and complete cure time. 

Once the prepolymer and catalyst are added together, the chain extension (curing) reactions will commence. The time taken to mix must be carefully monitored. It must be sufficient to allow complete mixing, but there must be enough pot life left to allow pouring into the mold while the material is at the lowest viscosity possible. This is to allow the polyurethane to fill the mold completely and any entrapped bubbles to reach the surface. 

When the prepolymer chain is extended with a diol, the polymer formed has only urethane linkages. The polymer formed with the diamine chain extender is strictly a polyurethane polyurea. The first urethane component is from the initial chain extension when the prepolymer is prepared. A diamine curative will form urea linkages (Figure 2.3) between chains. 

The polyurethane (PU) can be considered an environment-friendly material because the urethane bond resembles the amide bond, which implies possible biodegradability. It can be used in various elastomer formulations, paints, adhesives for polymers and glass, and artificial leather as well as in biomedical and cosmetic fields. Polyurethane spheres were prepared from 20/40% of PU prepolymer solution in xylene [91]. PU droplets were formed in water with the SPG membrane of different pore size (1.5-9.5 pm) and then polymerized to form the final microspheres. Finally, spherical and solid PU particles of 5 pm were obtained after the removal of the solvent. In another study, Ma et al. reported the formation of uniform polyurethane-vinylpolymer (PUU-VP) hybrid microspheres of about 20 pm, prepared using SPG membranes and a subsequent radical suspension polymerization process [92], The prepolymers were solubilized in xylene and pressed through the SPG membrane into the continuous phase containing a stabilizer to form uniform droplets. The droplets were left for chain extension at room temperature for some hours with di- and triamines by suspension polymerization at 70 °C for 24h. Solid and spherical PU-VP hybrid particles with a smooth surface and a higher destructive strength were obtained. 

In the polyurethane industry, the polymeric glycols are prepared by anionic polymerization of epoxides such as ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. Poly(tetra-methylene glycol), which was prepared by polymerization of tetrahydrofuran, was subjected to chain extension by reaction with diisocyanate (polyurethane formation) and with dimethyl terephthalate (polyester by alcoholysis). 

A wide range of materials is included in this class. The common feature is the use of chain extension reactions to provide products with acceptable commercial properties. The chain extension reaction effectively reduces the actual number of chain ends, thereby eliminating the generally poor properties observed when very low-molecular-weight polymers are cross-linked. The chain extension step involves the reaction of a difunctional polymeric polyol with difunctional organic isocyanates to give the polyurethane ... 

In order for such glycosides to be utilized for polyurethane formation, further chemical modification is required to reduce hydrogen-bonding interactions. Chain extension, often by alkoxylation at elevated temperature and under pressure, is used to obtain suitable liquid polyols. Otey (if), for example, has modified EGG in this manner in a bulk alkoxylation to yield polyols that could then be used to form polyurethane foams. 

This reaction has great significance in the preparation of polyurethane products as it causes chain extension and branching, provides the carbon dioxide necessary for foaming and forms the basis of air curing of polyurethane coatings. 

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