Hyperbranched polyesters for polyurethane coatings: their preparation, structure and crosslinking with polyisocyanates

• Main Author: Pavlova, Ewa
• Other Authors: Technische Universität Dresden, Chemie und Lebensmittelchemie
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden 2007
• Subjects: hyperbranched polymers; polyurethanes; polyesters; coatings; BHPPA; hyperverzweigte Polymere; Polyurethane; Polyester; Beschichtungen; ddc:540; rvk:VK 8007; Polymere; Beschichtung
• Online Access: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:swb:14-1172267166280-42303; http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:swb:14-1172267166280-42303; http://www.qucosa.de/fileadmin/data/qucosa/documents/1821/1172267166280-4230.pdf

In this work, hyperbranched aromatic polyesters-polyphenols based on 4,4-bis(4’ hydroxy¬phenyl)pentanoic acid (BHPPA) were prepared and, according to the authors knowledge, for the first time tested as precursors for polyurethane bulk resins and coatings. Comparison of poly-BHPPA with competing products The materials prepared in this work show better properties than their aliphatic polyester-polyol analoga based on 2,2-bis-(hydroxymethyl)propanoic acid (BHMPA). Especially, the solubility of poly-BHPPA in organic solvents is better and poly-BHPPAs also do not tend to microphase separation during their reaction with isocyanates, in contrast to poly-BHMPAs. The poly-BHPPA and the polyurethane networks made from them display higher Tg values than analogous poly- BHMPA compounds. Because of the high Tg of the reacting and final systems, curing must occur at elevated temperatures (90°C) in order to avoid undercure. The lower reactivity of phenolic OH groups prevents the reaction from being too fast at that temperature. A drawback of the polyurethanes based on the aromatic polyesters-polyols prepared is the lower thermal stability of their urethane bonds, if compared to aliphatic urethanes. An interesting possibility for future investigations would be the modification of the BHPPA monomer in order to change the OH functionality from phenolic to aliphatic OH, e.g. by replacement of the phenolic OH by hydroxymethyl or hydroxyethyl groups (requires a strong modification of the monomer synthesis) or simpler by reacting the phenolic OH of BHPPA with a suitable reagent like oxirane, which would lead to groups like O-CH2-CH2-OH in the place of the phenolic OH. Such a BHPPA modification should in turn yield modified “poly-BHPPA” polycondensates, which would combine the advantages of poly-BHPPA with those of aliphatic OH precursors of polyurethanes. Poly-BHPPA synthesis Hyperbranched polymers of the 4,4-bis-(4’-hydroxyphenyl)pentanoic acid (BHPPA) were synthesized successfully by the catalyzed (by dibutyltin diacetate) polycondensation of BHPPA. The products obtained were oligomers with number average molecular weight ranging from 1800 to 3400 g/mol (polymerization degree of ca. 6 to 12), displaying a first moment of functionality in the range 7 to 14. Such products were good OH precursors for the preparation of polyurethane coatings, because higher functional polymers would gel at low conversions. The analysis of the functional groups (determination of acid and hydroxyl numbers) and the 1H-NMR and the 13C-NMR spectroscopy were found to be good methods for the determination of molecular weights. The polydispersity of the poly-BHPPA products was in the range 3.5 to 6. Their degree of branching was found to be in the range 0.36 to 0.47. Poly-BHPPA containing aliphatic polyols as core monomers were also prepared successfully. Difunctional and trifunctional core monomers usually reached a full conversion of their OH groups, while the tetra- and hexafunctional core monomers were converted only to 89%. In all these products however, a considerable amount, usually even a majority, of the polymer molecules were core free. The poly-BHPPA products prepared displayed relatively high glass transition temperatures, in the range of 84°C to 114°C, obviously due to interactions between the phenol groups and to hydrogen bridging. The thermal stability of these products was also high, with decomposition occurring near 350°C (at a heating rate of 10°C / min) Kinetics investigations of the poly-BHPPA reactivity towards isocyanates The poly-BHPPA are polyphenols and were expectedly found to react significantly slower with isocyanates than aliphatic alcohols. The reactivity of poly BHPPA was also found to be somewhat lower than that of the monofunctional, low molar-mass 4 ethylphenol. Hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer, Desmodur N3300, was found to be more reactive than hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) or butyl isocyanate in all experiments, possibly due to a substitution effect. The substitution effect can be explained by a change of microenvironment caused by conversion of isocyanate group and OH group into urethane groups. The reactions of low-molecular-mass alcohols or phenols with low molecular weight isocyanates followed well the 2nd order kinetics, while the reactions of poly-BHPPA with isocyanates show deviations from ideal 2nd order kinetics at higher conversions. All the kinetics experiments were carried out under catalysis by dibutyltin dilaurate. This catalyst inhibits the undesired reaction of isocyanate groups with moisture. It was also found that the catalysis was necessary to reach reasonable curing times for poly-BHPPA based polyurethane networks. The uncatalyzed systems reacted extremely slowly. Preparation of polyurethane networks from poly-BHPPA The poly BHPPA products prepared were used successfully as OH functional precursors of polyurethane networks. The networks prepared contained only very low sol fractions. Acetone and also ethylene diglycol dimethylether (diglyme) were found to be good swelling solvents for the networks prepared, while methyl propyl ketone was a much poorer solvent and aromatic compounds like toluene or xylene practically did not swell the poly BHPPA based polyurethanes. The networks prepared contain a relatively high amount of cyclic bonds, 40 to 50% in the finally cured state, which is an expected result for systems with precursors of high functionality and with small distances between the functional groups. The temperature of glass transition (Tg) of the networks prepared (ranging from 68°C to 126°C) depends of the poly BHPPA precursor used: it increases with increasing molecular mass and with increasing core functionality. The choice of the isocyanate crosslinker also influences Tg: the networks made from HDI show higher Tg values, than networks made from the same poly BHPPA but crosslinked with Desmodur N3300 (Tri HDI). The urethane bonds in the networks prepared start to decompose near 140°C. The easier degradation of PU with aromatic urethane bonds is a disadvantage in comparison with aliphatic polyurethanes, whose decomposition starts at 200°C. The surfaces of polyurethane coatings prepared are smooth, displaying a roughness of ca. 20-25 nm, and relatively hydrophilic: the contact angle with water was found to be near 80°. The prepared networks are also relatively hard, possessing the Shore D hardness of 70.