CONFORMATIONS OF POLYURETHANE CATIONOMERS IN ORGANIC-SOLVENTS AND IN ORGANIC-SOLVENT WATER MIXTURES

Viscosity measurements of a 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate based cationomer in a low-polarity solvent, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and a high-polarity solvent, N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF), and in water/MEK and water/DMF mixtures were performed. For the un-ionized sample in pure MEK and DMF, the reduced viscosities of both solutions follow the Huggins relation. For ionized samples in pure MEK and DMF, aggregation of the ionized hard segments still exists in the MEK solution but can be almost negligible in the DMF solution in the high polymer concentration range, whereas chain expansion occurs in the low polymer concentration range. For ionized samples in water/solvent mixtures, at a mixing ratio (by weight) of 0.12, the reduced viscosity indicates an aggregation behaviour in MEK/water and a polyelectrolyte behaviour in DMF/water. At a mixing ratio (by weight) between 0.24 and 4.44, the reduced viscosity indicates a polyelectrolyte behaviour. The polymer particles change from a clear elastic gel (at a water/MEK mixing ratio less than 1.0) to microspheres (at a water/MEK mixing ratio higher than 1.0). For emulsions of the ionized samples, the reduced viscosity exhibits polyelectrolyte behaviour.