Ionomers for Tunable Softening of Thermoplastic Polyurethane

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) sulfonate ionomers with quaternary ammonium cations were synthesized to achieve soft TPUs without using conventional low molecular weight plasticizers. The sulfonated monomer N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (BES) neutralized with bulky ammonium counterions was incorporated as a chain extender to internally plasticize the TPU. Increasing the steric bulk of the counterion and the concentration of the ionic species produced softer TPUs with improved melt processability. The incorporation of the sulfonate species suppressed crystallinity of the TPU hard block, which was mainly responsible for the softening of the polymer. The synthetic procedure developed allows for facile tuning of the mechanical properties of the TPU by simply switching the counterion and/or increasing the feed ratio of ionic monomer. The precursors in this study were synthesized and analyzed via 1H NMR, and the thermomechanical properties of the resulting TPU ionomers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, Shore A hardness, and static mechanical testing.

Duke Scholars

Author Matthew L Becker Chemistry