Polyurethanes Elastomers Based on Poly(ε-caprolactone) Diol: Biodegradation Evaluation

Sumary: Plastics materials are widely used in the manufacturing of many products like bags, packings, electronic components among other applications. Most polymers are extremely durable and this durability cause serious environmental problems because of the large amount of waste discarded mainly in the urban centers. Thus, biodegradable polymers are a potencial way to minimize these problems. Polyurethanes based on poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) as soft segment were prepared taking into account the biodegradable charater of this last compound. The hard segment was built up by reaction between tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) and a chain extender (1,4-butanediol) or two crosslinking agents (sucrose or glucose). The biodegradation behavior of the polyurethanes was verified using solid and submerged fermentation and using natural conditions under the soil. The analysis indicated that the biodegradation was affected by the PCL segment, hard segment content, intermolecular interations manly H bonds and crosslinking.