Abstract: | Processes that impart strength and toughness are discussed along with reinforcement by colloidal plastics to indicate that high strength, except under restricted test conditions, necessitates a dispersed phase. Thereafter the dependence of the nominal and true tensile strengths on the type, size, and concentration of polar segments in polyurethane elastomers is considered. Data are first examined on formulations devoid of plastic domains and then on those containing domain-forming segments that result from the reaction of toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) with either toluene-2,4-diamine or 4,4′-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline) and from the reaction of 4,4′-diphenyl methane diisocyanate (MDI) with 1,4-butanediol (BD). Segments from TDI and either diamine give plastic domains that are especially effective for augmenting strength over an extended temperature range. Segments from MDI and BD are comparatively ineffective, although the formulation studied exhibits high strength at and below room temperature owing to strain-induced crystallization. From data on various segmented and triblock elastomers, general conclusions are drawn regarding the dependence of strength on the characteristics of the domains and the matrix. For some six segmented and triblock elastomers, it is found that the true tensile strength is essentially independent of the weight fraction of domains provided it exceeds 0.20 or thereabouts. |