SYNTHESIS AND PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES OF POLYURETHANES FROM SACCHARIDE-BASED POLYCAPROLACTONES

Polyurethane (PU) sheets were prepared from glucose-, fructose- and su crose-based polycaprolactones (PCL). The obtained saccharide-based PCL 's were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, Fourier-transf orm infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The glass transition temperature, thermal degradation temperature, te nsile strength, elongation and Young's modulus of the PU sheets were m easured. The obtained results suggest that the molecular motion of PU' s is enhanced with increasing fraction of PCL chains in PU molecules, and that at the same time the saccharide components act as hard segmen ts.