GEL-PERMEATION CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF POLYURETHANE PREPOLYMER SYNTHESIS KINETICS .1. THE EFFECT OF CATALYST

Polyurethane prepolymers are a complex mixture of oligomers. The proportion of the various species in this mixture determines the handling properties of the prepolymer as well as the physical properties of the final polyurethane. An analytical method has been developed that gives a clear and sensitive picture of both the reaction kinetics and the concentrations of the oligomeric species in the prepolymer mixture. The analytical method is applied to the polypropylene glycol/tolylene diisocyanate/catalyst system. The expected changes in reaction rates and in the formation of higher oligomers in the prepolymer were observed when catalyst was added at three different polyol molecular weights. An alternative equation for predicting the number average degree of polymerization is developed for the cases where reactant ratios are significantly less than one. An empirical equation is derived that permits expressing the reaction kinetic data in a linear plot. This equation is used to express the results of this work. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.