Analysis of curing reaction of liquid-crystalline epoxy compositions by using temperature-modulated DSC TOPEM®

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The curing behaviour of the composition of a liquid-crystalline diepoxy monomer (LCEM) with the central triaromatic mesogenic group was studied using...     

Hyperbranched Aromatic Polyesters

Summary: Having developed a theoretical model of hyperbranched polymerization involving AB₂ and B₂ monomers we present preliminary results of a test of its validity for the system consisting of 4,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentanoic acid (AB₂ monomer) and bisphenol A (B₂ monomer). The monomers reacted at room temperature to yield the title hyperbranched polyesters. Diisopropylcarbodiimide (condensation water remover) along with an effective catalyst were used for that purpose. The total of AB₂ monomer was introduced at once to a reactor containing B₂ core monomer or it was divided into 3 or 5 equal portions and each of them introduced after the monomers previously present have reacted to a predetermined conversion. GPC measurements of the resulting molecular mass distribution gave inconclusive results because of poor reproducibility of polymer isolation/purification procedure and/or insufficient accuracy of GPC technique.     

Modelling the surface free energy parameters of polyurethane coats—part 2. Waterborne coats obtained from cationomer polyurethanes

Polyurethane cationomer coats were synthesised on the basis of typical diisocyanates, properly selected polyether polyols, HO-tertiary amines and HCOOH as quaternisation reagents. The values of their surface free energy (SFE) parameters were obtained by the van Oss-Good method, with the use of the contact angle values which had been found by the goniometric method. Based on the obtained findings, empirical models were developed which made it possible to anticipate the effects of the raw material types on the SFE values of the produced coats. The possibility was noted to adjust the SFE values within 25–50 mJ/m² by selecting carefully suitable parent substances. The principal consequences for the formation of improved hydrophobicity coats, applicable inter alia specialised protective coatings, were found to come not only from diisocyanate and polyol types but also from the alkylammonium cation structure which results from the use of different tertiary amines. The fundamental SFE lowering effect was noted when tertiary amines with 0–15 % of the 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1,4-butanediol as a fluorinated chain extender was incorporated into polymer chains.     

Modelling the surface free energy parameters of polyurethane coats—part 1. Solvent-based coats obtained from linear polyurethane elastomers

Polyurethane elastomers coating were synthesised by using typical diisocyanates, polyether and polyester polyols and HO-tertiary amines or diols as a chain extenders. Mole fractions of structural fragments (κ _exp) responsible for the polar interactions within polyurethane chains were calculated by ¹H NMR method. Obtained results were confronted with the analogous parameter values (κ _theor) calculated on the basis of process stoichiometry, considering the stage of the production of isocyanate prepolymers and reaction of their extension for polyurethanes. Trials of linear correlation between the κ _exp parameters and surface free energy (SFE) values of investigated coatings were presented. SFE values were determined by Owens–Wendt method, using contact angles measured with the goniometric method. Based on achieved results, another empirical models, allowing for prediction the influence of the kind of polyurethane raw materials on SFE values of received coatings were determined. It was found that it is possible to regulate the SFE in the range millijoules per cubic metre by the selection of appropriate substrates. It has been found that use of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1,4-butanediol as a fluorinated extender of prepolymer chains is essential to obtain coatings with increased hydrophobicity, applied among others as biomaterials—next to diphenylmethane diisocyanate and polyoxyethylene glycol.