Properties of Polyether–polyurethane anionomers

Abstract

Two series of polyether-polyurethane anionomers based on 4, 4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), methyl diethanolamine (MDEA), and polytetramethylene oxide glycol (PTMO) were synthesized. The system based on 1000-MW PTMO, which exhibits an interconnected hard domain morphology, showed a substantial decrease in the soft segment T_g upon ionization. The moduli of the corresponding anionomers were found to increase as the cationic charge of the neutralizing species was increased. The series based on 2000-MW PTMO, which exhibits an isolated hard domain morphology, showed little change in thermal or mechanical properties either upon ionization or in varying cationic charge.