Eco-friendly Route for Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers with Bio-based Hard Segments Composed of Bio-glycol and Mixtures of Aromatic–Aliphatic and Aliphatic–Aliphatic Diisocyanate

• Published in: Journal of polymers and the environment 2021-07, Vol.29 (7), p.2140-2149
• Main Authors: Głowińska, Ewa, Wolak, Wojciech, Datta, Janusz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1,3-Propanediol; Aliphatic compounds; Amino acids; Bond strength; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diphenyl methane diisocyanate; Elastomers; Elongation; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Environmental impact; Fatty acids; Hazardous areas; Hexamethylene diisocyanate; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Low temperature; Materials Science; Mechanical properties; Original Paper; Petrochemicals; Petroleum; Physicochemical properties; Polymer Sciences; Polymers; Polyurethane; Polyurethane resins; Prepolymers; Prices; Raw materials; Reduction; Stiffness; Tensile strength; Thermal decomposition; Thermal stability; Thermomechanical properties; Urethane thermoplastic elastomers; Vegetable oils; Volatility
• ISSN: 1566-2543; 1572-8919
• DOI: 10.1007/s10924-020-01992-5

Application of bio-based diisocyanates with low volatility instead petrochemical diisocyanates has positive impact on environment by reduction of hazardous effects on living organisms and lead to bio-based polyurethanes (bio-PUs) with good usage properties. This work was focused on the synthesis and chosen properties examination of partially bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (bio-PUs) obtained using diisocyanate mixtures, polytetrahydrofurane (PolyTHF) and bio-1,3-propanediol (bio-PDO). Two types of diisocyanate mixtures were prepared as follows: aliphatic–aliphatic based on hexamethylene diisocyanate with partially bio-based aliphatic diisocyanate Tolonate™ X FLO 100 (HDI-FLO) and aromatic–aliphatic based on diphenylmethane diisocyanate with partially bio-based diisocyanate (MDI-FLO) with reduction of 25 mass% of petrochemical diisocyanate. Bio-PUs were obtained via prepolymer method. Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers have been examined in the terms of chemical structure and thermal, thermomechanical, mechanical and physicochemical properties. Bio-PU based on HDI-FLO diisocyanate mixture exhibited higher thermal stability. The beginning of thermal decomposition took a place at lower temperature ca. 30 ºC) and lower rate than the MDI-PU based materials. DMA analysis showed that HDI-FLO based polyurethanes exhibited greater capacity to accumulate energy and higher stiffness. Both materials characterized similar tensile strength and hardness, but with difference that TPU based on HDI-FLO relieved greater elongation at break about 360% reached 813%. Taking into account versatile properties of bio-TPU, these material can find application in many branches of industry.