Influence of the solvent on the segmental dynamics and structure in mixed compositions of polyurethane and styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer

Abstract

The effect of the tetrahydrofuran (THF), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), ethyl acetate (EA), and acetone (A) solvents on the structure and segmental dynamics of polyurethane (PU)-(styrene-acrylonitrile) (SAN) mixed compositions are studied by spin-probe EPR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and infrared spectroscopy. The molecular mobility τ, the degree of crystallinity χ, the modulus of elasticity E alter only slightly in passing from 100% PU to a 50% PU-50% SAN, but the structural and dynamic properties change abruptly at a high SAN content in the composition, regardless of the type of solvent. The values of τ, χ, and elastic modulus for the mixed compositions increases depending on the type of solvent in the following sequence: THF, MEK, EA, A, which can be explained by the thermodynamic affinity between the solvent and solute. It is also shown that, with growing content of SAN in the composition, the number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between nitrile and urethane groups (3344-cm−1 band) increases.