Synthesis of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene possessing high content of 1,4-units via anionic polymerization

• DOI: 10.1007/s10118-010-9121-y
• Publication Date: 2010-06-15T06:47:44Z
• Authors: Ji-ming Chen; Zai-jun Lu; Guang-qin Pan; Yong-xin Qi; Jian-jun Yi; Hai-jian Bai
• Keywords: 01 natural sciences; 0104 chemical sciences

The hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) possessing high content of 1,4-units was synthesized by anionic polymerization of butadiene, using alkyllithium containing silicon-protected hydroxyl group as initiator and cyclohexane as solvent. The polymers were characterized by GPC, IR and 1H-NMR. The mechanical properties of cured films were also evaluated. The results show that the content of 1,4-units for HTPBs made by anionic polymerization reaches up to 90%. The molecular weight distribution is very narrow (≤ 1.05). The functionality of hydroxyl groups approaches 2. Compared with free radical HTPB, the elongation at break of anionic HTPB films increased by 70%, while the tensile strength remained nearly unchanged. This new HTPB can be very useful in solid propellant.