A Review on the Synthesis and Characterization of Polytetrahydrofuran Polyethyleneglycol (TPEG) Block Copolymer Binder

Today, polymer materials are widely used due to their diverse properties, low cost, and easy mass production. Polytetrahydrofuran polyethylene glycol (TPEG) block copolymer is one of the prepolymers and precursors of polyurethanes. Polytetrahydrofuran polyethylene glycol block copolymer binder with its flexibility property increases flexibility and elongation, and as a result improves polyurethane properties. In the present work, the synthesis of polyether by chemical depolymerization method from polymer raw materials has been reviewed. TPEG is a hydroxyl-terminated polyether that is synthesized from the raw materials of polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the presence of an acid catalyst (sulfuric acid) by chemical polymerization reaction. The synthesis has two simultaneous stages: polymerization of polytetrahydrofuran with an acid catalyst and then coupling the obtained product with polyethylene glycol. Factors such as reaction time and temperature, molecular weight and molar ratio of the reactants and acid catalyst concentration affect the molecular weight and the yield of production. In this copolymer, tetrahydofuran blocks form the soft segment and ethylene oxide blocks form the hard segment of the copolymer. The ratio of the soft segment to the hard segment of this polymer plays an important role in determining properties such as viscosity, density, and glass transition temperature (Tg). Characterization of this polymer is done using various tests including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), carbon and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR and 1H NMR). Researches show that the resulting copolymer is a random block copolymer. The glass transition temperature and melting point of TPEG are -73.5 ℃ and 8.74 ℃, respectively.