Graft interpenetrating polymer networks of polyurethane and epoxy. I. mechanical behavior

Abstract Polyurethanes (PU) based on poly(butylene adipate) [PU(PBA)] and poly(oxypropylene) [PU(PPG)] polyols have bean introduced into the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (epoxy) to form interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) with a PU‐grafted epoxy structure (graft‐IPNs). The tensile strength in both PU(PPG)/epoxy and PU(PBA)/epoxy systems increases with increasing PU content. Maximum values emerge at PU/epoxy ratios between 19/81 and 27/73. This is explained as a result of the presence of the graft structure, which leads to more intimate interpenetration between the PU and epoxy in the graft‐IPNs. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) indicates that the PU introduced can be incorporated in either the α or β transition domain of the epoxy. The tensile strength of the resulting graft‐IPNs shows a significant improvement as the PU is incorporated in the α transition domain of the epoxy. It is also noted that suitable amounts of PU incorporated in both the α and β transition domains of epoxy can increase the tensile strength of the IPNs, while excessive amounts of PU introduced into both α or β transition domains tend to decrease the tensile strength of the graft‐IPNs.