THERMAL-BEHAVIOR AND FLAMMABILITY OF POLYURETHANES BASED ON DIPHENYLMETHANE-4,4'-DIISOCYANATE AND INCORPORATING 3-CHLORO-1,2-PROPANEDIOL INTHE MAIN-CHAIN

For a series of diphenylmethane-4,4'-diisocyanate (MDI) and 3-chloro-1 ,2-propanediol (CPDO), propanediol (PDO), or polyoxyethyleneoxidediane (POEOD) based polyurethanes degradation profiles and flammability wer e investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) alone or coupled wi th Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scan ning calorimetry (DSC), and oxygen index (OI) method. It was found tha t several correlations between the thermal parameters, such as initial decomposition temperature (IDT) or mass loss at given conversion degr ee, and oxygen index (or ox)gen concentration) occur, thus making it p ossible to predict the thermal behavior of modificated polyurethanes o n the basis of thermogravimetric data only. TGA with FT-IR proved to b e a valuable extension of methods of thermal analysis commonly used to provide continuous monitoring of the IR spectra of evolving volatiles as well as quantitative analysis of gases produced during the decompo sition process.