Kinetic Investigation of Polyurethane Rubber Formation from CO2‐Containing Polyols

A novel CO2 utilization technology allows for the inclusion of CO2 as carbonate units and double bond moieties to give additional functionality in polyether polyols. This study examines the chain‐elongation kinetics of these diols with diisocyanates to polyurethane rubbers by means of thermal analysis. A reaction order of 1 indicates a strong influence of the chains' mobility on the reaction rate. Spectrometry and comparison with non‐double‐bond polyols reveal that the effect cannot be attributed to a substantial occurrence of side reactions but is rather due to the intertwining of lengthy chains. The kinetics of polyurethane rubber formation from polyether polyols including CO2 as carbonate units and double bond moieties with diisocyanates was examined. Intertwining of long chains leads to their low mobility and thus mass transport, effectively slowing down the reaction. Side reactions were not observed.