Abstract
Miscibility and phase behavior studies of thermoplastic poly-ether-based polyurethane (TPEU) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2) blends were investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TGA), and mechanical behavior. TPEU based on 1,6-diisocyanohexane (HDI), 1,4-bu-tanediol (BD), and 1000 molecular weight poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) was synthesized. It was shown by FTIR that the addition of PVF2 to TPEU disrupted the intermolecular interactions between soft and hard segments in TPEU, and the interactions between an urethane carbonyl and protons of PVF2 was stronger than that between urethane carbonyl and urethane NH. It was found that PVF2 was immiscible with soft segment (PTMO) and miscible with hard segment and the degree of phase purity of the soft domain increased with increasing PVF2 content. The presence of a specific intermolecular interaction between the hard segment and PVF2 was suggested by an observed systematic depression in the melting point of the PVF2 component. It was also found that the thermal stability, tensile strength, and Young's modulus increased proportionally to PVF2.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful to the Mu'tah University for its financial support.