Segmented polyurethane elastomers by nonisocyanate route

ABSTRACT Novel segmented polyurethane elastomers were successfully synthesized by a nonisocyanate route using dicyclic carbonates as precursors for both soft and hard segments. The hard segment was prepared from the dicyclic carbonate of bisphenol A and m ‐xylylenediamine as chain extender. The soft segment was poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol of molecular weight 1000. Three polyurethanes with different morphologies were made with soft segment concentration of 70, 50, and 30%. Method of synthesis consisted in preparation of dicyclic carbonate of bisphenol A from a commercial epoxy resin and carbon dioxide, while dicyclic carbonate of poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol (PTMEG) was made from previously prepared diglycidyl ether of PTMEG and carbon dioxide. Polymers were prepared by reacting dicyclic carbonates with m ‐xylylenediamine by one‐pot process. The monomers and polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, scanning electron microscopy, and mechanical measurements. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 42492.