EVOLUTION OF VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF POLYURETHANE IN THE COURSE OF CURING

Simultaneous measurements of the components of dynamic modulus at the set of frequencies were made by Fourier-Transform Mechanical Spectroscopy (FTMS) to investigate the curing process of a segmented polyurethane. The whole process of curing is treated as consisting of three stages. In the first stage, the material can flow and this stage is complete at the gel-point. In the second stage, the curing proceeds in the network and ends with phase separation of aggregating segments (blocks) of polymeric chains. In the third stage, the curing continues in the two-phase system. The object of investigation was the transition from the second to the third stage. It was shown that the position of the maximum of loss tangent depends on frequency and does not coincide with different characteristic points marking the time dependencies of G' and G". This is due to the formation of micro-particles of the newly formed phase. The FTMS method is used for separation of the modulus changes into parts related to formation of chemical and physical networks. Special means of treating calorimetric measurements identified a weak maximum heat output at the moment corresponding to the transition point.