Polycaprolactone/Polytetrahydrofuran Supramolecular Polymer Blends: Mechanical and Thermal Properties

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

Application of supramolecular polymer blending in preparation of materials
with adjustable mechanical properties is addressed. It is anticipated that the microstructure and properties of polymer blends are drastically controlled by the inter-molecular interactions. On this basis, the effect of strongly dimerising ureidopyrimidinone end groups (UPy) with the capability of quadruple hydrogen bonding array formation on the material properties of polycaprolactone/ polyhydrofuran supramolecular polymer blends has been studied. The mechanical test results revealed that the supramolecular strategy resulted in up to 110% and 500% increase in tensile strength and Young's modulus, respectively. Observation of a single glass transition temperature in DSC traces of the blends shows that phase compatibility improved significantly upon blending.

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