Interpenetrating polymer networks based on polyurethane and polysiloxane

A series of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs), based on a polyurethane (PU) and polydimethylsiloxane, has been synthesized and characterized by means of DSC, TEM, TGA, 1H-NMR and IR spectroscopies, and other techniques. The homo-networks have been characterized by swelling in n-hexane and chloroform. The IPNs are obtained by combination of a PU based of the castor oil and 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI) with different amounts of polydimethylsiloxane-α,ω-diol (PDMS). These materials have interesting individual physical properties, but some IPNs exhibited superior properties than either of the separate networks. For interesting results, it was used as compatibilizer the polydimethylsiloxane graft polyalkylene oxide. All the IPNs exhibited phase separation and maximum extent at the point of phase inversion.