Elaboration and properties of renewable polyurethanes based on natural rubber and biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) soft segments

Abstract

Natural rubber (NR) is a renewable bio‐based polymer, while poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) belongs to the family of biodegradable renewable polymers. In this article, novel polyurethanes (PUs) were prepared using hydroxyl telechelic natural rubber (HTNR) and hydroxyl telechelic poly(butylene succinate) (HTPBS) as soft segments, and using toluene‐2,4‐diisocyanate (TDI) and 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) as hard segment. HTPBS oligomers of Mntrue¯ = 2000 and 3500 g mol−1 were synthesized by bulk polycondensation of succinic acid (SA) with BDO. The polyurethane materials were obtained by casting process after solvent evaporation. The influence of the hard segment content and the molecular weight of HTPBS on the materials’ thermo‐mechanical properties were investigated by means of tensile testing, DSC, TGA, and DMTA. The obtained polyurethanes were amorphous with phase separations between hard and soft segments as well as between HTNR and HTPBS segments, and they exhibited good physical properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42943.

Nonisocyanate thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers based on poly(ethylene glycol) prepared through the transurethanization approach

“…Nowadays, the development of sustainable, alternative, and environmentally friendly routes to PUs through nonisocyanate and nonphosgene pathways is of great interest . During the last decades, three main approaches have been developed: The aminolysis of five‐membered bicyclocarbonates by diamines to afford poly(hydroxyl urethane)s …”

Synthesis and characterization of elastomeric, biobased, nonisocyanate polyurethane from natural rubber

“…Our group developed a specific methodology for producing oligo‐isoprenes (NR oligomers) containing carbonyl chain ends . The reduction of the carbonyl chain end leads to hydroxyl telechelic oligomers, which have been used as a source of diols for the production of PUs as films or foams . Several studies of biobased PHUs have been reported in which tannin, cashew nut shell liquid, isosorbide, and vegetable oil have been used as starting materials .…”