New multi-blocked thermoplastic polymers containing rigid polyurethane-urea and soft polydiethylene glycol adipate blocks have been synthesized. Basic features of their structure formation have been revealed. Three types of supramolecular organization have been found, which define the behavior of samples under heating and deformation conditions. The shape memory effect has been interpreted through the transition of one type of morphology to another. The variation of the functional characteristics of the material was addressed in the process of long-time storage at room temperature. The changes of physical-mechanical and thermodynamical properties of the materials were related to structural evolution within 60 months of storage. The competing role of crystallization and phase separation was proposed to explain the unusual mechanical behavior of the materials.

No abstract

Control of the phase separation process of soft and hard segments by selecting diisocyanates and by varying the thermal program allows defining the final degree of crystallinity and phase composition of TPUs.

A synthesis of new di-and triblock polyurethane thermoplastic copolymers containing different mass ratio of two crystallizing blocks - poly (1,4-butylene glycol) adipate and poly-ε-caprolactone diols was developed. Using combination of danamometric analysis, IR-spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction, the effect of the soft block composition and crystallization conditions on crystal structure and thermal behavior of the obtained polymers have been studied. For the triblock copolymers we have shown a possibility of control the kinetics of material hardening and final mechanical characteristics due to the mutual influence of polydiols during crystallization. In the result, the second crystallizing component allows to control amount, structure and quality of crystalline domains in polyurethanes by variation of crystallization conditions.