How the reactive additives influence the physico-chemical properties of casting polyurethane elastomers

This study explores the influence of propylene carbonate (PC) on the properties of casting polyurethane elastomers. Five formulations were developed with varying PC content: 0% (PU0), 1% (PU1), 5% (PU5), 10% (PU10), and 20% (PU20) by weight in the prepolymer, while maintaining a consistent curing ratio. The effect of PC incorporation on hardness, resilience, segmental interaction, stress-strain behavior, thermal stability, and abrasion resistance was systematically evaluated to understand the impact of PC on the phase structure and performance of the elastomers. The successful synthesizing of polyurethanes was confirmed by spectroscopy analysis. The hardness values showed a progressive decline with increasing PC content, indicating a reduction in cross-link density and increased polymer chain mobility. The resilience of samples increases progressively from PU0 (28%) to PU20 (47%), indicating that PC enhances the elastomer's ability to recover energy upon deformation. At higher PC levels, the system transitions toward rubber-like elasticity. By modifying the cross-link density and enhancing chain mobility, PC improves the elongation of the polymer while reducing tensile strength. In Addition, abrasion loss decreased with increasing PC concentration. This study provides insights into optimizing the composition of polyurethane elastomers for diverse applications where tailored physical and mechanical properties are required. Adding PC offers a simple and cost-effective method for tailoring the properties of ester-based polyurethane elastomers.