Polyurethane elastomers containing polybutadiene and aliphatic diols: Structure‐property relationships

Abstract The effect of aliphatic diols on the structure and some mechanical properties of polyurethane elastomers containing hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene and three different diisocyanates was studied. Differential scanning calorimetric studies revealed the existence of several thermal transitions, characteristic of structures of multiphased elastomers. Three transition temperatures, a subzero transition and two high temperature transitions, were found in some of the elastomers. The higher‐high temperature transition reflects ordered domains, also supported by X‐ray diffraction, Higher degree of order was achieved with longer diols. The mechanical behavior is affected by the multiphase nature of the elastomers, especially by the morphology of the hard segment domains. The structureproperty relationships for the three component polyurethane elastomers in question thus have been established.