Crosslinking polymerization leading to interpenetrating polymer network formation. I. Polyaddition crosslinking reactions of poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐2‐methacryloyloxyethyl isocyanate)s with ethylene glycol resulting in polyurethane networks

At the start of our research program concerned with the elucidation of the crosslinking polymerization mechanism leading to interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) formation, in which IPNs consist of both polymethacrylates and polyurethane (PU) networks, this article deals with the polyaddition crosslinking reaction leading to PU network formation. Therefore, 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl isocyanate (MOI) was radically copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of CBr₄ as a chain‐transfer agent. The resulting poly(MMA‐co‐MOI)s, having pendant isocyanate (NCO) groups as novel multifunctional polyisocyanates, were used for polyaddition crosslinking reactions with ethylene glycol as a typical diol. The second‐order rate constants depended on both the functionality of poly(MMA‐co‐MOI) and the NCO group concentration. The actual gel points were compared with the theoretical ones calculated according to Macosko's equation; the deviation of the actual gel point from the theoretical value became more remarkable for a greater functionality of poly(MMA‐co‐MOI) and at a lower NCO group concentration or at a lower poly(MMA‐co‐MOI) concentration. These are discussed mechanistically, with consideration given to the significance of intramolecular cyclization and intramolecular crosslinking reactions leading to the shrinkage of the molecular size of the prepolymer, along with the data of the intrinsic viscosities of resulting prepolymers and the swelling ratios of resulting gels. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 606–615, 2003