Thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of polyol-based poly(ester amide) elastomers

• Poly(ester amide) elastomers based on xylitol and sorbitol were synthesized via polycondensation.
• The polymer properties were tuned by adjusting the monomer feed ratio.
• The thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting elastomers were compared.
• The swelling ratios and morphologies of the elastomers as a function of composition were examined.

A family of synthetic poly(ester amide)s (PEAm)s composed of polyols (xylitol or sorbitol), a diaminoalcohol, and sebacic acid were developed. The material properties of the PEAm polymers could be tuned by adjusting the type of polyol monomer and the feed ratios of diaminoalcohol and polyol. The resulting thermoset networks exhibited Young’s moduli ranging from 1.15 to 4.96 MPa with maximum elongations at break of 178 to 371% with glass transition temperatures ranging from 22.8 to 39.2 °C. The swelling behavior and morphology of each elastomer were comparatively investigated. PEAm elastomers containing sorbitol showed higher moduli, higher glass transition temperatures, higher swelling ratios, and more porous structures than their xylitol counterparts. In elastomers fabricated with the same polyol, the elastomer with a higher feed ratio of polyol was more flexible than that with a lower feed ratio.

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