| Number: | 2002-052-1-400 |
|---|---|
| Start: | 01 January 2003 |
| End: | 23 April 2007 |
To evaluate the relationship among the chemical structure, the higher-order structure, and the mechanical and rheological properties of the elastomers.
The idea of thermoplastic elastomers brought a big innovation to the rubber industry as well as the field of the polymer science. The rubber materials, which have no need of vulcanization and are easy to be recycled, have attracted the technological and academic interests for these years. The mechanical performance of the thermoplastic elastomers is strongly affected by the higher-order structure of hard segments of the chains. The domain is a glassy amorphous phase or a crystalline phase. Among the several types of thermoplastic elastomers, the polyester-type elastomers are specifically interesting because the characteristics cover from rubber to plastics, in some cases to engineering plastics, according to the structure of crystalline domain of hard segments. The aim of this project is to make clear the structure-properties relation of polyester-type elastomers categorized in engineering elastomers, composed of poly(butyleneterephthalate) as the hard segment and poly(e-caprolactone) or poly(tetramethyleneglycol) as the soft segment.
Project completed