Structure and properties of dry-spun segmented polyurethaneurea elastic fibers

Abstract

Influence of the spinning conditions of dry spinning on the structure and properties of segmented polyurethaneurea (SPUU) elastic fibers was investigated in terms of mechanical experiments and infrared analysis. The conditions of dry spinning were estimated by numerical computation. The calculated results were compared with the properties of as-spun SPUU elastic fibers. The structure and properties of as-spun SPUU elastic fibers are highly influenced by the spinning stress, which mainly depends on the throughput (mass flow rate) from an orifice and take-up speed. With an increase of spinning stress, phase mixing between hard and soft segments, orientation of hard segment, and fragmentation of hard segment domains proceed. On the contrary, hard segment domain ordering and the random orientation of soft segment are not influenced by the spinning stress. The change in mechanical properties with the increase of spinning stress can be explained by these morphological changes.