The Effect of High Molecular Weight Bio-based Diamine Derivative of Dimerized Fatty Acids Obtained from Vegetable Oils on the Structure, Morphology and Selected Properties of Poly(ether-urethane-urea)s

Abstract

In this work, the effect of the high molecular weight bio-based diamine on the chemical structure and selected properties of poly(ether-urethane-urea)s has been investigated. The ether-urethane prepolymer was cured using 1,4-butanediol and/or bio-based diamine. Mentioned chain extenders were used separately or in the mixture, and their different molecular weight and chemical structure resulted in obtaining materials with diversified mechanical performence. The presence of specific chemical groups (i.e. urethane and urea groups) was confirmed by FTIR method. For the synthesized poly(ether-urethane-urea)s morphology and fracture mechanism, thermo-mechanical properties and mechanical properties were determined and discussed. Results confirmed that bio-based diamine acts as soft segments, and this is connected with changing of mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of prepared partially bio-based poly(ether-urethane-urea)s. The increasing content of bio-based diamine resulted in increasing of tensile modulus and decreasing of tensile strength and elongation at break, and this is resulted from chemical structure of bio-based diamine (i.e. presence of aliphatic side chains).