Polyurethane elastomers containing polybutadiene and aliphatic diols: Polymerization and structure

The effect of aliphatic diols on the polymerization and network formation of polyurethane elastomers containing hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene and three different diisocyanates was studied. The polymerization/curing progress was followed by viscosity measurements, IR spectroscopy, swelling, extraction, and hardness measurements. The resulting networks were characterized by swelling experiments. The type of diisocyanate and the diol chain length were found to have significant effects on the reacting mixtures throughout the polymerization course. The effects observed included the phase structure of the reacting mixtures, the reaction rate, the crosslink density, and the physical interactions.