Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched polyurethane–urea coatings

A series of hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU)–urea coatings were synthesized by a systematic two-step reaction process. Initially, isocyanate terminated PU prepolymers were prepared from a hyperbranched polyester polyols with isophorone diisocyanate at NCO/OH ratio of 1.6:1 for 5 h at 70–80 °C. The excess NCO content after the synthesis of NCO terminated HBPU prepolymer was completely reacted with atmospheric moisture. The obtained HBPU–urea networks were characterized with Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for the quantitative evolution of the extent of urethane and urea bonds as well as to study the structure-property relationship. In order to find out the changes and types of intermolecular H-bonding interaction in the HBPU–urea films with the variation in polyester structure, the deconvolution of FT-IR spectra were carried out using Origin 6.0 software through Gaussian curve-fitting method. The viscoelastic properties and thermal stability of the synthesized coatings were determined by dynamic mechanical and thermal analyzer and thermogravimetric analyzer, respectively. For HBPU–urea samples glass transition temperature and thermal stability increased with the generation number from the first to the third. Polyester samples showed single step decomposition profile and HBPU–urea samples showed two-steps decomposition with good thermal stability.